BreakOut!
by Naruto4Sakura
Summary: Emergency! You Are To Evacuate I Reapeat! Evacuate Out Of Konoha City. . .What Has Our World Come To?
1. The Good Life

_Revised:_

_ENJOY! _

_(Still like to give a shout out to my best friend for helping me put together this story!)_

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!_**

000

**_Konoha High_**

_10:19 A.M_

_Morning_

_Monday_

_4th period_

"Man! I'm glad 3rd periods over!" Naruto Uzumaki exclaimed, stretching his arms.

"I don't know how you can say that since you were asleep the whole time." Stated Sakura Haruno.

Both companions were walking down the hallway.

"Ahh! But Sakura chan! What Kakashi Sensei was going over was boring!" Naruto said, as they made it to their next class.

"It doesn't matter if it was boring you still need to pass his class in order to graduate!" She yelled.

They took their seats in the middle of the classroom. This always happens between the two. Naruto lazed around in his school work and Sakura gets on his hind for slacking in class.

"I know Sakura chan, but you know how lots of work give me headaches." Naruto said, rubbing his temples.

He acted like he had one.

"I don't know how I put up with you." She muttered.

"Cause you love me." Naruto stated.

He smirked when a blush appeared on her cheeks.

"W Whatever!" Sakura said, turning away from him.

It was a well-known secret around Konoha High that Naruto Uzumaki had a crush on Sakura Haruno. They basically grew up together since preschool. While in elementary they promised to always be there for each other, even through thick and thin. This ranged from him to protecting her from bullies and her standing up for him even though the problem could be totally his fault. Since they spent so much time growing up together he took a liking towards her, but never voiced his feelings in fear that it would ruin their friendship.

"You know I'm just playing Sakura chan." Naruto chided, playfully.

"Ha ha ha very funny, but anyways pay attention Naruto. Hetaku sensei is about to start." Sakura stated, taking out her notebook.

And like that it started another dreadful hour for Naruto with Hetaku sensei going on and on about animal species, how they lived and their body structures.

'Man! Can this day be any slower?' Naruto stated mentally, as his mind started to drift off.

000

**_Lab Facility_**

_10:52 A.M_

_Morning_

_Monday_

"What are the test results for subject A?" A voice said.

"Subject is showing some symptoms sporting a fever, coughing, and sweating." A doctor said, going through his clipboard.

"Interesting" It replied

"What are your orders?" The doctor asked.

"Just keep track of the subject's changes and we'll go from there." It replied.

"Yes sir" The doctor said, leaving his boss's office.

_000_

**_Konoha High_**

_11:24 A.M_

_Morning_

_Monday_

_5th period._

_Lunch_

"I can't believe you did that." Sakura said, irritated.

She stabbed her roasted chicken with her fork. Sakura along with Naruto, Hinata, and Kiba were having lunch at their usual spot outside near the school's water fountain. They were talking about the situation that occurred in 4th period.

"You've got to admit though, it was pretty funny." Naruto said, chuckling nervously.

She sent a death glare his way causing him to shut up.

"I don't see what's the big deal." He muttered.

"Dude, you caused biology class to be cancelled for the entire week." Kiba stated.

**_Flash Back_**

"**_Today class we will be learning how to dissect frogs." Hetaku sensei said, while scribbling on the board. _**

**_Stopping from what he was doing he casted his gaze upon his students. Seeing that he had their attention he continued. _**

"**_With this exercise we will learn where some of their important body organs are located like the heart, lungs, and liver." Hetaku said, stopping once again. _**

**_He was making sure that they were grasping the concept of their assignment. _**

"**_You are to list the organs you see inside the frog along with its function." Hetaku stated. _**

**_He heard a collective amount of groans from his students. _**

"**_You may begin!" Hetaku said. _**

**_He sat down in his chair and logged onto his computer. The students in the classroom grouped up into pairs of two and got to work on the assignment._**

"**_Alright, let's get this over with." Sakura said, with a shaky voice._**

**_She put her goggles and gloves on. Naruto watched her closely. He rolled his eyes at how hesitant she was on touching the dead amphibian._**

"**_Pssst Naruto!" Somebody called him._**

**_Looking up from what Sakura was doing, Naruto saw a boy with messy brown hair. He had red triangles on both cheeks._**

"**_What is it Kiba?" Naruto asked, chuckling when he heard Sakura gasp. _**

**_He laughed a little once the amphibian fell from her hands and back into the container in front of them._**

"**_I was wondering if everyone was hanging out at your house today." Kiba said._**

"**_You bet! Are you coming too Hinata?" Naruto asked, making said girl squeak in surprise._**

"**_Yea" She said, keeping her face towards the front of the class. _**

**_This did little to fool anyone since everybody knew she was blushing from embarrassment._**

"**_Just making sure man since Shikamaru and Ino said they had other plans after school today." Kiba said, giving Naruto the know it all look._**

**_Naruto rolled his eyes at the statement. Him and Kiba both knew what those two would be doing after school. Last time he texted Shikamaru he mentioned something about his parents going on a business trip to Kumo City and wouldn't be back until November. This was only 2 months away. So either (A) Ino forced Shikamaru into going shopping again, or (B) they were going to be doing some foreplay after school. Something told him that the latter was bound to happen._**

"**_Sometimes I wonder where his lazy ass gets the energy from." Kiba said. _**

**_He turned back around to help Hinata with the assignment. Naruto only shrugged and got to work as well. It was only fifteen minutes later when he started to get bored. Since him and Sakura finished five minutes ago, he decided to have some fun._**

"**_This is going to be hilarious." Naruto stated, getting up from his seat. _**

**_He made sure that Hetaku sensei didn't see him. Bending down behind the table and unzipping his backpack Naruto pulled out a small black and white looking animal. Sakura wondering what he was doing looked down. Her eyes widen at what she saw._**

"**_N Naruto is that?" She stuttered._**

**_A broaden smile appeared on his face. _**

"**_Yep, found the critter on my way to school this morning and I just couldn't help but have an idea pop inside my head." Naruto said._**

"**_What are you going to do with that thing?" Sakura asked._**

**_Naruto only smirked, got on all fours and crawled towards the head of the classroom. As he passed his classmates many were shocked to see what he was carrying. When he finally reached the teacher's desk he moved to the side of it and looked up. Seeing that Hetaku sensei was too absorbed in his work to notice him Naruto placed the animal under his desk and crawled back towards his seat. He made sure that he had opened up one of the classroom windows. _**

**_Since Hetaku sensei was so focused on his work he failed to realize that something was scratching at his feet. When he finally looked down to see what it was he was sprayed right in the eyes by a horrible smelling liquid and odor. The only thing he could do was scream in anguish, falling over his chair while rubbing his eyes. The whole class laughed at this, with the exception of a few who thought the joke was a little bit too cruel. The laughing died down once they saw the creature run towards them._**

"**_Oh Snap! Run!" A male student yelled as everyone ran out the room._**

**_End of Flash Back_**

"Now biology class is cancelled until they get that horrid smell out of there." Kiba said, making a face.

This only showed how horrible the classroom smelled now.

"Not to mention Hetaku sensei won't be back until that stench leaves him." Sakura said.

Her anger had subsided.

"It's not like they figured out who did it." Naruto stated.

There was a moment of silence as his friends stared in his direction. Their expressions could only tell a by stander that they knew this would happen.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that Naruto kun." Hinata said.

"What do you mea. . ."

This was all he could say before being interrupted by a voice filled with fierce amounts of Malice.

"NARUTO!"

Turning around Naruto found himself face to face with a woman with hazel brown eyes, blond hair, a large bust, and a blue diamond shape rhombus in the middle of her forehead. He gulped, preparing himself for the scolding that was sure to follow.

"W W What is it? Baa-chan?" Naruto stuttered out.

The school principle glared at him for calling her that **pacific** name, but waved it off. Sometimes she wondered how she puts up with his naivety.

"Don't play stupid with me you brat! What I want to know is why the hell you let loose a baby skunk in a classroom!" Tsunade yelled at him.

"Why do you expect it was me?" Naruto questioned.

He tried to play it off as if he didn't do it.

"It might have been somebody else." Naruto stated.

Tsunade took a deep breath. She tried to calm her anger down.

"Who else would do something so pompous just for the fun of it?" Tsunade asked, challenging him to make a point.

"Shin. . ." Naruto began, before being interrupted.

"You can't blame Shinji since he's been absent all day." She stated.

Naruto was having trouble stringing words together. He was trying his best to convince her that he didn't do it. Then he remembered what he did in the classroom that would be his free ticket out of this situation.

"I don't know Baa-chan. That animal could have crawled in through the window or something." Naruto said.

He smirked when Tsunade took on a thoughtful expression.

"Hmm, you do have a point." She said, tapping her index finger on her arm.

'Yes! I'm out of the red zone!' Naruto thought, cheerfully.

However, his smile faded away with what she said next.

"But how did you know that it crawled in through the window, and secondly if you saw it why didn't you say anything?" Tsunade asked.

"I. . ." Naruto started, but once again interrupted.

"Oh? And another thing Naruto." Tsunade said, making sure she had his attention.

"Even though your biology class is on the ground floor of the school, the window is at least 4 or 5 feet from the ground for a small animal like a skunk to get in." She said.

An evil smirk graced her lips.

"So it just begs the question in my mind on **who** did it." Tsunade said, with a quirked eyebrow.

Naruto's eyes were wide. He was shocked that she was able to pick up the key loop hole in his plan. He began to panic. Naruto was about to defend himself when she started talking again.

"Whatever Naruto! I'll let you off the hook, but next time think before you act!" Tsunade said, turning on her heels to leave.

Naruto could only nod his head in understanding as the principle left, leaving behind another moment of silence. Turning back around his friends was staring at him.

"Well, I got away with it." Naruto said, chuckling to himself.

"Just be grateful that you know Tsunade Sama so well that you can get away with stuff like that." Kiba said, finishing his lunch.

"Yea I guess" Naruto muttered, settling back down in his seat.

"But anyways, did you guys hear that Benshi fractured his leg at football practice the other day?" Kiba said, throwing his lunch tray away.

"No way! He's like our best quarterback here!" Naruto stated, with a look of disbelief.

"Well believe it my friend and now our team just lost a huge aspect of winning this year's championships." Kiba stated.

He started to grumble about how such a thing could happen.

"Is he going to be ok?" Hinata asked.

Worry was etched in her voice.

"Yea, the doctor stated that he had a small fracture and should be up and running again in a matter of 4 weeks." Kiba said.

"I hope nothing else bad happens." Naruto said, turning towards Sakura.

He was trying to get her to talk to him again after the incident in the classroom. However, what none of these four friends knew was that something bad was just brewing to happen.

000

**_Lab Facility_**

_11:42 A.M_

_Morning_

_Monday_

"Sir! The subject is gaining incredible feats that are dangerous! Should we stop the operation!?" A doctor asked, in panic.

Blood was covered all over his lab coat.

"No, this experiment will be beneficial to my plan." A voice replied.

"But Sir!" The doctor began.

"Continue as plan!" The voice said, with a hint of anger.

"Y Yes sir" The doctor stuttered out.

He took hesitant steps out of the office. Left alone a tall, slender, sickly pale figure moved about until it reached the window. Glancing outside for a few seconds a wicked smile shown on what appeared to be a male's face.

"Things are about to change in this world." The man said.

He laughed maniacally before disappearing from the window.

000

**_Konoha High_**

_2:38 P.M._

_Monday_

_Noon_

_7th period_

Naruto was sweating up bullets at the end of gym class today. Apparently Gai sensei thought that his students needed to gain more stamina and exercise since some of them were lazy. Not that Naruto was lazy or anything, but where the hell did Gai buy a military training/exercise video from? Also, how did the military keep up with most of these exercises anyway?

"Remind me to never show up for gym again." A voice stated.

Turning towards his right from seating on the bleachers Naruto saw Shikamaru. He was sweating as well from the work out today.

"If I knew this was going to happen then I **would've** told you." Naruto said, making his friend roll his eyes at him.

"Yea, yea, so Kiba said that everyone is hanging out at your place today?" Shikamaru questioned.

"Yea, but you don't have to come if you don't want to." Naruto stated, smirking.

He knew what Shikamaru would be doing after school other than going to his place to chill. If it had anything to do with a slender, blond haired girl, then your guess was right.

"Yea, but we're not doing anything inappropriate though." Shikamaru stated, knowing what Naruto was thinking.

"Ino actually wanted me to accompany her on a shopping spree." Shikamaru said.

He groaned. The mere thought of it made him feel weird. Naruto shrugged.

"That was my second guess." He said, seeing his other friends walk up to them.

"So where were you guys during lunch today?" Naruto asked.

He glanced between Shikamaru, Neji, and Ino.

"I was called to do some paperwork as the school president." Shikamaru stated, as everyone settled in at the bleachers.

"But it just turned out to be a meeting about writing disciplinary rules for the student body." He finished.

Shikamaru took a deep breath and shoved his hands inside his pockets.

"I was going over important exercises with the dance crew." Ino said.

She looked at Sakura and Hinata questionably.

"Why weren't you guys there?" Ino asked.

Unlike the males of the group the females were exceptionally clean due to their shower stalls still working.

"Well unlike you Ino pig, who starves herself close to death, Hinata and I will like to keep some meat on our bones." Sakura stated.

Ino glared at her. She read in a magazine on how to achieve the perfect body figure and if it meant losing some weight then damn it! She'll lose weight!

"Whatever forehead." Ino said, smirking when Sakura glared back at her.

Taking a water bottle out of her duffle bag Ino took a huge gulp out of it.

"I decided to take my history test early, since I'll be gone next week." Neji said, making his friends stare at him.

That was until a look of recognition came across Hinata's face.

"We're supposed to go on our annual family vacation." She stated, completely shocked.

The bell rung signaling the end of the day for the students. Neji nodded.

"I advise you to get everything out of the way while you still can, so you don't worry about it later when we come back." He said, getting up from the bleachers.

Neji headed straight for the gym exit.

"Alright let's get out of here. I don't know about you guys, but sitting around here looking at Gai sensei do his afternoon stretches isn't what I find a pleasant sight." Shikamaru stated, with a queer look on his face.

Everyone looked the general direction he was staring at and winced. What they saw caused chills to run down their spines. Gai sensei was bending down so far that his rear end was peeping at them. They didn't stay for long though since all of them sprinted out of the gym. The group made sure they grabbed their belongings on the way out the door.

000

**_Konoha City_**

_2:58 P.M_

_Noon_

_Monday_

After departing from school Naruto made his way home. His mind was reeling about the day's events. He still couldn't believe his plan with the skunk failed. Well, if you really thought about how the skunk crawled in through the window then you really can't be surprised. He sighed.

Crossing the street that was two blocks away from his house a smile slowly graced Naruto's features. He was thinking about his best friend. Naruto knew that he should stop goofing off in school, but he couldn't help it. This was his last year at Konoha High and he wanted to have some fun memories. Sakura didn't seem too thrilled about his acts and reprimands him greatly whenever he gets into trouble. However, he knew she did it for his well-being.

Naruto's mind wondered more, thinking about his pink haired friend. A blush appeared on his cheeks. Everyone knew he had a crush on Sakura, seeing how defensive he got whenever other males asked her out. Since she never showed any interest in him Naruto never made a move on her. He was afraid that if their relationship as a couple didn't work out then they wouldn't know how to act around each other. Quite frankly he didn't want that to happen, so he preferred to keep all his feelings bottled up. He sighed again as he finally made it home. Upon entering his house, he noticed it was quiet than usual.

"Mom! Dad!" Naruto hollered.

He put his backpack on the couch. When he didn't receive a reply he began to investigate. Once Naruto searched every place in the house including the movie arcade and pool room he decided that his parents weren't home. (Did I mention that his family was wealthy?) Due to his father being one of the most successful business owners in the world he pretty much had everything he wanted since he was a little boy. However, Naruto wasn't very materialistic.

After taking a much needed shower he made his way towards the kitchen. He was hoping to grab a mid-day snack. Upon entering the kitchen Naruto saw a note hanging from the refrigerator door. Quickly walking towards it he was shocked at what he read.

_Dear Naruto:_

_I know that this will come as a shock to you, but me and your father have gone on a weeklong cruise. Now before you go on a rampage your father and I wanted some time to ourselves, which we can't receive at home. So for the next week you will be defending yourself. I stock piled the refrigerator, pantry, and cabinets with food so you won't get hungry. I've also bought more ramen for you. (Don't know why you're obsessed with it) Until we return have fun!_

_Love_

_~Mom&Dad~_

_P.S. - Also NO WILD PARTIES! Your father is still fuming about his golden track record being broken-_

He couldn't believe it. His parents left him behind to go on some cruise? Naruto's been on a cruise liner before, but they could have asked if he wanted to go. His phone started to vibrate in his pocket, drawing his attention away from the note.

_Sakura Chan-_

"**Everyone will be at your place around 5 or 6 o'clock." **She texted.

"**Alright, what are you guys doing?" **Naruto texted back.

He grabbed a small bag of Doritos from the pantry. It wasn't long until his phone vibrated again.

_Sakura Chan-_

"**Well everyone's getting some things done before coming to your house."** She replied.

Sitting down on the couch in the living room Naruto turned on the T.V. He texted back.

"**Ok"** Naruto replied, while eating his chips.

He began to browse the channels.

_Sakura Chan-_

"**Is it ok with your parents if we come over?"** she asked.

Naruto rolled his eyes at the mention of his parents. He texted back.

"**Yea, but apparently they decided to go on some cruise and left without me knowing."** Naruto replied.

He was still quite mad at the ordeal.

_Sakura Chan-_

"**Oh? Why didn't they tell you?" **She asked.

"**Something to do with them wanting some alone time with each other. Can you believe it?" **Naruto texted back.

He finally found something good to watch while eating his half empty bag of Doritos.

_Sakura Chan-_

"**I kind of can, since they work hectic hours due to your family's company."** She replied.

"**But Sakura Chaaaaan! You're supposed to be on my side!"** Naruto replied back.

He added a yellow face with tears in its eyes.

_Sakura Chan-_

"**Stop complaining and see you later on tonight."** She texted.

Naruto sighed. He put away his phone and continued watching whatever he was looking at on T.V.

"Stupid cat" He muttered, watching a cat chase around a mouse.

000

**_Uzumaki Household_**

_9:14 P.M_

_Night_

_Monday_

Naruto walked out of the living room and towards his bedroom. He made sure that every door in the house was locked. When his friends arrived (With the exception of Shikamaru and Ino of course) they headed straight for the movie arcade, carrying huge bowls of popcorn, snacks, and drinks. So then on out they watched movies.

Naruto was grateful that they didn't find a movie that was stupid. Like one of the movies they watched last week. Seriously the main character kills his son along with everybody else in the car was a stupid ending for him, even if the car ran out of gas inside the mist. However, he had to give it a thumps up due to its gruesome scenes for having Sakura grasp his arm tight. When he made it to his room he stripped down to only his boxers, cut the light off, and got into bed. Upon feeling the soft material of his sheets he zoomed off to sleep.

000

**_Lab Facility_**

_9:18 P.M_

_Night_

_Monday_

A pale man in a white suit looked through a window used for testing things. What he saw made him smile. To anybody else who might have saw the scene before them surely would have puked. Another figure inside the testing room was crouched down eating something with a white lab coat on. If this wasn't horrible enough the walls in the testing room were covered in blood. Two lifeless bodies laid near the exit door.

"These results are most satisfying." The man said, before leaving.

His stride had purpose as he moved to go put his plan in motion.

000

_Thanks for reading. Please review._

_~N4S~_


	2. What Has Our World Come To?

_Revised:_

_ENJOY!_

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!_**

000

**_Uzumaki Household_**

_6:36 A.M_

_Morning _

_Tuesday_

Birds were chirping on an early Tuesday morning awakening a certain blonde haired boy from his slumber. Upon waking up Naruto sat up in bed and stretched his tired muscles. After recuperating his body he decided to start the day. Quickly taking a shower, brushing his teeth and washing his face Naruto made his way into the kitchen. He ate himself a bowl of ramen. Finishing his meal Naruto finally decided that it was time to head out, but before he could leave the house his cell phone vibrated.

_Sakura Chan-_

"**Are you up?" **Her text read.

"**Yea" **Naruto texted back.

He locked the front door of his house with a key. Slinging on his backpack Naruto moved away from the house. He began his long trek towards school on the sidewalk. Not knowing why, but he felt like today had an eerie feel to it. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew something was going to happen. It only took two seconds later until a cold chill shot through his body, causing him to stop. What was so special about today?

'I wonder what's going to happen.' Naruto said mentally, beginning to walk again.

He was knocked out of his train of thoughts when his phone vibrated again.

_Sakura Chan-_

"**Just making sure and for a heads up we're having a quiz in Ebisu sensei's class today." **He read.

Naruto stopped at a crosswalk and texted back.

"**How do you know?" **He asked, while cars passed by.

Naruto watched as the city of Konoha came to life. Civilians bustled about while they did their morning routines. He always wondered why his home town was so boisterous in the mornings, but came to the conclusion that since Konoha City was a high profiting metropolis lots of things had to be done. It was this reason why he always found himself having a few sleepless nights at home. Naruto was brought out of his musing when his phone vibrated again.

_Sakura Chan-_

"**I'm already at school stupid! Hurry up before the tardy bell rings." **She texted back.

After crossing the street and turning around a building Naruto saw his high school straight ahead. While walking he took in his surroundings. The whole city was like a tourist attraction to him. With all the gift shops, malls, shopping stores and restaurants it was hard for outsiders to stay away from this place. Since his family owned most of this stuff a lot of people viewed him as a spoiled rich kid.

However, he never acted like one. Naruto really didn't care too much since he already had loyal friends. People he can really count on. He sighed when he finally made it onto school grounds. As Naruto was walking through the front doors of the school he still felt that something was off about today.

000

**_Konoha High_**

_7: 12 A.M_

_Morning _

_Tuesday _

_Hallways_

Naruto made his way through the crowded hallways of Konoha High. He was trying to get to his locker. On his journey he couldn't help but over hear what the other students were talking about.

"_Did you hear that Hoshio Uzumi is planning on asking Sakura Haruno out?"_ A female voice said.

"_No way! He's like the hottest guy here!" _Another female voice exclaimed.

"_Well, since Sasuke Kun moved away." _Said a disappointed female voice.

Naruto muttered under his breath at the mention of Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha was a boy who used to go to his school early on during the year. Every single day he was surrounded by the female population of Konoha High. Naruto didn't know what the girls saw in him. However, he was just grateful that Sakura wasn't part of that group even though every time he looked her direction she blushed.

His resentment towards Sasuke started when he asked Sakura out. Naruto was fuming up a storm after she accepted the request and gave some dude a black eye for rubbing it in his face. This was all short lived however when Sasuke announced that his family was moving away. Sakura was a little disappointed about the news, but let it go.

"_Yea! And now Hoshio Kun is about to be taken!" _Another female voice whined.

"_I wonder how she does it?" _Another female voice said.

Naruto drowned them out until he made it to his locker. Upon his arrival he saw Sakura talking to Hoshio. The boy was an inch shorter than Naruto with a good build, tan skin, light brownish hair and dark brown eyes. It seemed that Naruto's day had officially soured.

Calming his anger down he walked towards his locker. It was located next to Sakura's. He began to open it. Since Sakura had her back towards him she didn't see him. However, Hoshio did and smirked.

"So, Sakura! Do you want to go out and see a movie? My treat." Hoshio asked.

"I don't know?" Sakura replied, adjusting the folders in her arms.

"Aww come on!" He whined a little.

Naruto roughly started to cram things inside his locker. Aggravation was clearly fueling his actions.

"What else you have to do after school today?" Hoshio asked.

He smirked at Naruto's reaction.

"I have plenty of things to do today, but. . ." Sakura began.

She sighed. Turning around Sakura saw Naruto harshly pushing things inside his locker. At the rate he was going his backpack should be empty in ten seconds splat! She turned back towards Hoshio and answered him.

"I'm flattered and all, but I already like someone else." She stated.

"Oh? Ok, just wanted to ask." Hoshio said, clearly not seeing this coming.

Saying his farewells he left the two friends behind. After seeing Hoshio leave Naruto finally calmed down.

"You okay Naruto?" Sakura asked.

She noticed how tight he was gripping the locker door. Naruto turned towards her and smiled.

"Yea Sakura chan. Just still miffed about my parents is all." He said, letting go of the death grip he had on his locker.

"Oh? Okay." She said, with uncertainty.

Sakura watched as Naruto picked the things he needed for class. After he was done she grabbed one of his arms.

"Come on! We're going to be late!" She said, dragging him down the hallway.

Naruto checked the time on his phone which read 7:24 and sighed.

'Today is going to be a long day.' Naruto said mentally, being dragged by his best friend.

000

**_Konoha Hospital_**

_8:05 A.M_

_Morning_

_Tuesday_

"I can't believe it." A nurse whispered, checking her patient's vitals.

After doing a quick diagnostic test her eyes widen.

"All traces of his lung cancer are gone!" The nurse said, astonished.

"How is this possible?" She whispered.

Glancing at the hospital bed once more she noted that her patient's labored breathing was gone. It was now replaced with a steady rise and fall of the chest. Shifting her head away the new object of her gaze was a wooden crate. It contained syringes that were the cause of this new predicament.

'I wonder' The nurse thought, before rushing out.

Her movement was filled with purpose as she moved down the hospital corridor. A syringe was grasped in her hand. While in her haste she failed to realize that two yellow, slitted, eyes were watching her. A devious smile appeared on a man's face.

"So naïve" The man said, before disappearing.

000

**_Konoha High_**

_10:01 A.M_

_Morning_

_Tuesday_

_Principal's Office_

Tsunade sighed as she finished another stack of paperwork. How she got in this position sure was a mystery to her. It's not like she hated the job in general, but she could do without all the work. Seeing that there was nothing else to do she began to relax.

"Here are some more forms you need to fill out Tsunade Sama." Her aid said, making her way through the front door.

Hearing the rustle of papers on her desk Tsunade sighed. She knew what it implied.

"Why are there so many forms today?" Tsunade asked.

She took out something to drink.

"Well most of these forms are from what happened yesterday." Shizune replied.

After taking a long sip from her sake cup Tsunade gave her a look. (Is she really allowed to drink that at school?)

"I know that, but seriously. Did the Health Department have to get involved in this?" Tsunade said, looking through the forms.

"Well from what I've heard the skunk had some deadly chemicals inside its system." Shizune said.

After looking through the forms Tsunade looked at her.

"Oh really? Care to elaborate." She asked.

"The paramedics said that the skunk's secretions contained some form of acid and if made contact to human skin could burn." Shizune stated.

Tsunade cupped her chin. She was trying to remember such an occasion.

"That sounds very similar to a case I worked on when I was at the hospital." Tsunade said.

After five seconds of thinking it came to her.

"Now I remember." Tsunade said.

She uncupped her chin and looked directly at Shizune.

"There was this middle aged man who was rushed into the ER room a few years back due to being attacked by a wild animal." Tsunade began.

"The animal was of course a skunk and he was admitted immediately." She continued.

"Other than having a few scratches and a horrid smell the man also had something that was very uncommon for a skunk attack." Tsunade stated.

Shizune watched her superior with keen interest. The story had grasped her attention completely.

"The man had visible scorch burns on his forearms, legs, and torso. We didn't know how he got them until we examined him." Tsunade said, taking another sip out of her cup.

"What did you find?" Shizune asked.

She was listening intently.

"Like you said earlier, it seemed that the skunk's secretions contained an acid and that acid was thiol acid." Tsunade said.

She set aside her paperwork.

"But thiol acid can't really cause too much damage towards the human body?" Shizune said, clearly confused.

"That is true, but the thiol acid inside the skunk was very acidic." Tsunade said.

"Also from a closer examination we found out that the man's lungs were infected." She said.

Shock came across Shizune's face at this.

"How is that possible?" She asked.

"We deduced that when the skunk sprayed its fumes the acid was caught in the air, making the man breath it in." Tsunade said.

Shizune jumped at this news.

"What about Heta. . ."

Tsunade raised a hand to stop her rant.

"It's ok Shizune. He's already been admitted and is taken care of." She said.

Shizune took a deep breath. She was thankful that her panic left. However, something else popped inside her head.

"If it's also airborne, shouldn't we have closed the school down?" Shizune asked, her panic coming back.

"I thought of that as well, but it seems as though the skunk's fumes doesn't spread too far in the air." Tsunade said.

She relaxed in her chair.

"However, I've closed down Hetaku's classroom until farther notice." Tsunade said, taking a few sips out of her sake cup.

There was a moment of silence between both women.

"That Naruto. He sure out did himself this time." Shizune said, shaking her head.

The boy is eighteen years old and still causing trouble.

"Yes he did, but knowing the situation I bet Naruto didn't know the skunk had some deadly toxins." Tsunade said.

"I'm just glad that Hetaku san didn't report him." Shizune said.

"Yea, but anyways I'm going to take a break from this work load." Tsunade said.

She eyed the papers on her desk. Checking the time on her wrist Shizune dismissed herself. She headed out the door. Alone in her office again Tsunade sighed and turned on the mini T.V inside her room. Seeing that there was nothing on television she stopped on the news channel.

"_It's a miracle!" _An announcer exclaimed.

He was standing in front of a hospital.

"_One of our doctors or should I say nurses has created a cure for cancer! Yes! You Heard Right! Cancer! Can You Believe It!" _The announcer exclaimed.

Tsunade watched as many people old and young entered and left the hospital. She quirked an eyebrow. She was intrigued by the news she received. However, she also felt wary. An uncomfortable weight settled in her stomach.

'Something doesn't feel right.' Tsunade thought.

000

**_Konoha High_**

_10:26 A.M_

_Morning _

_Tuesday_

_4th period_

Naruto and his friends had to stay with their 3rd period teacher Kakashi Hatake due to their 4th period classroom being vaccinated. Third period started off as it usually did. Students were talking to each other, playing around and if tired enough sleeping at their desk. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Many people would wonder why this classroom was so dysfunctional, but if they knew who the teacher was there wouldn't be any questions. So the whole class was a chaotic mess for the time being.

When the teacher finally arrived (25 minutes later) everyone quieted down. Kakashi was known for being a laid back teacher. This was greatly evident since the dude was even late for his own class. Upon his arrival he wasn't surprised by the state his classroom was in and took a seat at his desk. When he sat down he instructed his students to read any book they like and tell what happened on a sheet of paper.

After giving out those instructions he pulled out an orange looking book and began to read it. (Have you guys ever heard of such a lazy English teacher before?) Doing the assignment quickly things went back to the way they were. Of course Kakashi didn't care and blocked his students out. When the bell indicating the end of 3rd period rung everybody in the classroom rushed out, leaving behind five individuals. Once everyone was gone Kakashi looked over his book and at the four students who was still in his classroom.

"You guys are supposed to stay with me until 5th period today correct?" He asked.

All four students nodded their heads at his question.

"Alright, since this is my planning period and you guys don't have anything to do. I'll have you run a few errands for me." Kakashi said.

Putting his book away Kakashi moved towards his file cabinets. Once there he pulled out four folders. Walking over to his students desks he placed the folders in front of them.

"Ok, Naruto and Sakura. You guys take these two folders to the main office, while Kiba and Hinata take the other two to guidance." He said, handing both groups their folders.

They eyed the folders with curiosity.

"What's in these folders Kakashi sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Just some important documents that the school needs." Kakashi replied.

Everyone looked up and was shocked to see that he was already back at his desk. He was reading his favorite book.

"Oh? Ok." Naruto said.

Standing up from their desks everyone headed out to complete their task.

"Make sure you make it back in time to clean up the mess your classmates made in here." Kakashi said, flipping a page.

"Hey! We're not your maids!" Naruto yelled.

He stopped at the door and glared at his teacher.

"Ok, you can work in this pigsty tomorrow then." Kakashi said, casually.

Naruto gave that idea a few seconds of thought. Deciding it was better to work in a clean environment than a disgusting one he gave into his teacher's wishes.

"Alright then! Fine!" He pouted.

Once his students left Kakashi looked at his classroom. It looked like a hurricane had torn through it. Paper, trash, broken school supplies and gum covered the floor.

"Did they break chairs in here?" Kakashi asked himself.

He eyed pieces of bark on the floor.

000

**_Konoha High_**

_12:15 P.M_

_Noon_

_Tuesday_

_5th period_

"So, in other words you guys were his maids for the day." Ino stated, combing her hair.

The whole gang was stationed outside near the school's water fountain. They was enjoying the cool crisp air as their free period dragged on. (Wished I had a free period)

"Yea and we had to run errands for him. Can you believe it!" Naruto exclaimed, drinking a Gatorade.

"I pretty much can since he's too lazy to teach a class." Ino said.

She nestled herself next to her boyfriend.

"I kind of feel bad for you guys. Being stuck with a guy like him for an extra hour must of been terrible." Shikamaru said.

Taking his focus off the clouds in the sky he wrapped an arm around Ino.

"I think he was trying to work us to death." Kiba said, while massaging his arms.

"Why do you say that?" Ino asked.

"I had to sweep up most of the shit that was on the floor!" Kiba stated.

He rubbed his arms a little bit more.

"Now my arms feel like they're on fire." Kiba whined.

"Did your arms really get like that just from sweeping up the floor?" Neji asked, not convinced.

"We also had to rearrange a few desks to mop it." Naruto said.

"Wait a minute. If you guys were doing all of that then what were you 2 doing?" Ino asked, eyeing Sakura and Hinata.

"Wiping the desks down and organizing his filing cabinets." Sakura stated.

She threaded a hand through her pink hair.

"Well at least you two didn't have to endure the physical labor that we had to take." Kiba mumbled.

"You're kidding me, right?" Sakura asked.

"Didn't you see all the papers that me and Hinata had to file?" Sakura asked, an eyebrow rose.

"Of course I did, but that pales in comparison to what Naruto and I had to do." Kiba said.

Sakura could only sigh deeply. She decided to let the argument go.

"Well, I'm glad I wasn't in his classroom during that period." Ino said, laying her head on Shikamaru's shoulder.

"What did the rest of you guys do today?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing much. Just took a few tests and quizzes." Ino replied, twirling some of her hair.

"The same old stuff." She continued.

Everyone nodded their head at this. They were agreeing to what she was saying.

"So in other words today wasn't very productive." Naruto stated, finishing his Gatorade.

"Pretty much" Shikamaru said.

After talking more about school work and Kiba complaining about his arms again the gang decided to move onto afternoon activities. There wasn't real shock on Sakura or Hinata's face when Ino announced that there was going to be another dance rehearsal after school. Since Ino was the dance captain of the squad she had the privilege of appointing meetings and rehearsals. However, the girl could have told everyone before this short notice.

Kiba was having football practice after school today while Shikamaru had to do some paper work as the school president. Neji said something about working at his family's restaurant, which he and Hinata both worked at to get some pay. This left Naruto to be alone at home by himself. However, this will all change when Sakura shows up to tutor him on math since he flunked the test that Ebisu sensei had given them. Drifting off to his own thoughts Naruto started to feel that eerie presence again. He didn't know what to make of it, but there was seriously something wrong about today.

'What's going on with me?' Naruto thought.

He tried to shake away the unpleasant feeling.

000

**_Suna City_**

_1:30 P.M_

_Noon_

_Tuesday_

_Hospital_

A young male doctor sat at a table, drinking some coffee on a hot Suna's day. After drinking the contents out of his mug he checked the time on his wrist.

'Seems like Orochimaru Sama is running late?' The individual thought.

Deciding to make some time fly by he pulled out his work folders and began to browse through them. He didn't get too far in this task before his phone started to ring, causing him to stop and answer it.

"Kabuto" The voice said.

Going by the name as Kabuto the individual replied.

"Orochimaru Sama?" Kabuto said, putting away his folders.

"How's the plan going on your end?" He asked.

"Splendid as expected. The fools think they found a cure." Orochimaru replied, chuckling to himself.

"What are your next orders?" Kabuto asked.

Since he was the only person inside the break room of the hospital he didn't have to be discreet.

"I wasn't going to attack Suna with my project until later, but I've change my mind. When you find the most conventional time release the virus." Orochimaru said, ending the conversation on the phone.

Receiving his orders Kabuto left the break room.

'It seems like step 2 of our operation is on the way.' Kabuto mentally stated.

He adjusted the glasses on his nose.

000

**_Uzumaki Household_**

_5:17 P.M_

_Night_

_Tuesday_

Sakura sat on the edge of Naruto's bed. She watched as he tried to solve the mathematical equation she gave him. She explained the problem to him six times already and the idiot still didn't get it.

'I hope I don't have to explain this to him again.' Sakura stated mentally.

She saw that Naruto was having trouble even writing a number down.

"Ahhhg! I give up!" He shouted, gripping his hair in frustration.

Sakura sighed at this. She moved from her spot at the edge of the bed.

"What's so hard about getting the Y by itself Naruto?" Sakura asked, seating beside him.

Upon looking at the problem she saw that he didn't have anything done to the equation. Sakura turned towards him and quirked an eyebrow.

"Really Naruto? I've went over this problem 6 times already!" She said, with a hint of anger.

"Sorry Sakura chan. It's just that I get confused after the Y thing." Naruto said, scratching his head.

Sakura sighed deeply, but began to explain the problem to him again.

"Ok Naruto the first thing you need to do is. . ." Sakura began.

However, Naruto wasn't paying attention. He found more interest in looking at **her**. He watched silently as she explained the concept of the problem to him. Her eyebrows furrowed as she concentrated. He knew it was a bad thing to have a crush on his best friend, but he couldn't help it. He liked her ever since their days in elementary school.

Naruto didn't know what drew him into her. Could it be her wildly pink hair or her beautiful forest green eyes? All he knew was that he wanted more than mere friendship with the pink haired girl. Unaware of his actions he leaned forward. His instincts started to kick in. Sensing that Naruto wasn't paying attention Sakura huffed.

"How am I. . ?" She turned, only to stop.

It felt so surreal to her as she stared into Naruto's half lidded darkened blue eyes. Her breath hitched as soft warm lips moved against her own. Sakura's eyes widen when the shocking realization hit her.

_She was being kissed by her best friend._

Not knowing how to react she braced her hands against his chest. She tried to stop his advances. This intention was quickly altered when Sakura found her hands scrunched up in his shirt. Her back arched as he deepened the kiss. A tingling sensation shot throughout her body.

Sakura's face redden as one of Naruto's hands found purchase on her hip. He subconsciously brought both of their bodies closer together. It didn't take long before she found herself lost in this fervent movement. She kissed him back just as eagerly. Time seemed to lose meaning. Both companion's heart rates were sky rocketing. It was only after they broke apart gasping for air when the whole weight of the situation came crashing down on them.

"Shit!" Naruto exclaimed, distancing himself from his best friend.

Sakura could only sit there. Her face was flushed as she breathed heavily from the kiss they shared.

"I I'm sorry Sakura chan." Naruto stuttered out.

He ran a frustrated hand through his blond hair.

"I didn't. . .Shit! I didn't mean to kiss you!" Naruto shouted, in distress.

Calming her breathing down Sakura stared at him questionably.

"Naruto it's. . ."

She was interrupted when Naruto's television screen came on.

"_This Is An Urgent Broadcast!"_ The announcer exclaimed.

There was some static on the screen.

"_There is a major epidemic going on around the city that I don't have time to explain!"_ The announcer said.

More static disrupted the television screen.

"_All I know is that you are to _**Evacuate! I Repeat! Evacuate! Out Of Konoha City!**"The announcer exclaimed.

All of a sudden both friends heard screaming coming from the background of the broadcast. Fear crossed the announcer's face until he signaled for his camera crew to end the signal. Silence was the only thing present in Naruto's room. Both friends were shocked at what they just saw on the T.V screen. If the announcer was paying attention he would've saw a darken figure in the background. From a closer inspection the person was really pale to be considered human. His eyes were blood shot and his skin looked shredded. It clearly was decomposing. The man looked like he shouldn't even be alive! This only sprung one question in both friends' minds.

**. . . . . .**

'What has our world come to?'

000

_Thanks for reading. Please review._

_~N4S~_


	3. Getting Out

_Revised:_

_ENJOY!_

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!_**

000

**_Konoha City_**

_7:32 P.M_

_Night_

_Tuesday_

_Train Station_

Everyone watched in horror through the train windows. The scene was pretty gruesome to look at. Blood was being sprayed everywhere along with the limbs of the attacker's victims. Most of the passengers turned their heads away. They knew their eyes couldn't take in the dreadful carnage.

"Why is this happening?" Ino asked, burying her head against Shikamaru's chest.

"I don't know." Shikamaru replied.

Everyone on board the train was trying their best to block out the victim's pleas for help.

"Why won't this train move!" Kiba shouted, punching the wall in frustration.

Upon arriving at the train station most of the trains were already gone. This made everyone panic on trying to find a train that wasn't full or closed off. Our young friends barely made it onto the last train leaving the station before its doors shut, leaving other civilians to their doom. Once that happened those **_things _**appeared. It was like watching a horror film as the zombie like beings massacred those left behind.

"What's taking the train conductor so long?" Naruto asked, holding Sakura.

She was in his lap. Since this whole mess started he couldn't keep his hands off her.

"I don't know, but it seems like we've grasped the infected's attention." Neji said, looking out the window.

Everyone stopped what they were doing at this news. They watched as one of the infected approached the train. Their nervous systems were sky rocketing with each step it took. Once it reached the window it looked at them. Its blood shot, red eyes ran over every passenger on board the train. The carnal look it had could set anyone on edge.

"What's it doing?" Hinata asked, worried.

"I don't know." Kiba replied.

It only took but a second before the infected started clawing away at the train's window. Its nails screeched against the glass. It didn't take long before the other infected joined their companion.

"Please! Get away!" A passenger cried out.

This only made them beat on the train in response, making it jerk with their combine strength. People really started to panic when the train's window glass started to break. A cracking sound echoed as the infected continued to beat on the train. (Damn! Those things are strong!)

"Why aren't we moving?" Another passenger yelled.

More chaos erupted when one of the infected broke through the glass. It stuck its head inside. Many thoughts were running through the group's heads at this time.

'Why is this happening?'

'What's going on?'

'What are those things?'

However, there was only one thought that ranged the loudest one that always appeared when your life is put at risk.

**. . . . . .**

'Am I going to die?'

000

_Earlier_

_1hr/half minutes ago_

**_Uzumaki Household_**

_6:24 P.M_

_Night_

_Tuesday_

Both friends were shocked at what they just saw. What was that thing? Was it alive? Of course it had to be, since it was moving in the background.

"Did you see that?" Sakura asked, in disbelief.

"Yea" Naruto replied, getting up from the bed.

He moved towards the window. Removing the curtain in his way Naruto got a good glimpse of outside. Things looked pretty normal for a second until people started to pile out of their houses. Fear was the clear incentive for their actions. He watched as they jumped in their cars and drove off. They never looked back again with their families.

"It's not bad out there now, but soon it will be." Naruto stated, leaving the window.

"What should we do?" Sakura asked.

"First we need to grab a few things, get to the train station and then leave the city." Naruto replied, moving towards the closet.

He began to rummage through it.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked.

She watched as Naruto threw a few things out.

"If I didn't see it with my own eyes I would've thought that the announcer was crazy." Naruto said, handing her a bag.

"But you saw that thing too? It's completely not human. Not to mention that everyone on my street is leaving and I don't want us to be the 2 morons left behind." He said.

"Ok, but what do you want me to do with this?" Sakura asked, holding up her bag.

"I don't have any clothes here." She stated.

"Remember that weekend you spent here 2 weeks ago?" Naruto said.

"Yea" Sakura replied.

"Well, you left a few clothes since then." He stated.

"Where are they?" Sakura asked, rising up from the bed.

"They should be in the hallway closet and don't worry my mom washed them." Naruto said.

"Alright" Sakura said, making her way out the door.

"Text or call everybody and tell them to meet us at the train station!" Naruto told her.

"Got it!" Sakura yelled, from the hallway.

Once Sakura was gone Naruto continued packing. He couldn't believe what was happening. A huge epidemic was sweeping across the city. Also from the looks of it, it seemed to be a zombie infection. He never thought that he would live to see the day when an actual zombie apocalypse would occur. It was only five minutes later until Sakura called him.

"Naruto!" She yelled.

"Yea" He replied.

"There are only 3 pairs of clothes in here." Sakura yelled, from the hallway.

"Ok?" Naruto said.

He was completely confused.

"They're not going to last very long." She stated, in a matter of fact tone.

"Oooh?" Naruto said, scratching the back of his head.

Sakura sighed on her end.

"They will just have to do for now I guess." She said.

"Yea, but you really don't need too many clothes Sakura chan. We're just grabbing a few things and leaving." Naruto said.

He put the last article of clothing inside his bag. If Sakura was to look inside she would see that he only had three pairs of clothes as well.

"Good point" She said, making her way back inside his room.

"Ready?" Naruto asked.

He saw the bag in her hand.

"Yea" Sakura replied, hesitantly.

She started to rub her arm uncomfortably.

"What's wrong Sakura chan?" Naruto asked, noticing her odd behavior.

"It. . .It's nothing Naruto." Sakura said, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Sakura chan?" Naruto said, grabbing her by the shoulders.

He was trying his best to make her look at him.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked again.

"It's just that I called my parents on both their cell phones and neither one of them picked up." Sakura said, looking at him now.

"Maybe they forgot them and left the house already." He reasoned.

"I thought of that as well, but what if they ran into one of those things we saw during the broadcast?" Sakura questioned.

Tears were just threatening to spill from her eyes. Seeing his best friend on the verge of tears Naruto quickly brought her into his arms. He tightened his grip around her petite frame when she started to weep.

"I I If something bad happens to them, t then what am I going to do?" Sakura choked out, crying into his chest.

Naruto could only stand there. He held her as she cried in his arms.

"Shhhh! Everything is going to be ok Sakura chan." Naruto said, soothingly.

He started to rub her back.

"I bet your parents are on their way towards the train station as we speak." Naruto stated.

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked.

Tears were still sliding down her cheeks. Naruto's eyes softened.

"Positive, from the looks of it everyone is in such a rush that they're not thinking straight." He said, remembering what he saw outside.

Giving this a few seconds of thought Sakura finally conceded.

"Ok" She said, wiping her eyes.

Naruto watched as she calmed down. He couldn't stand looking at his gir. . .I mean best friend have a meltdown. (Phew! Almost tripped there)

"You ok?" Naruto asked, watching her recollect herself.

"Yea" Sakura replied, against his chest.

"Good" He said, rubbing her back again.

Once she got herself together Naruto let go of her.

"Let's get going before all the trains leave." He said, hearing that the commotion outside had gotten louder.

Handing over her bag from the floor Naruto began to leave. It fell out of her hand from the moment they shared.

"Ok" Sakura said, following him out of his room.

When they reached the house exit he turned towards her.

"I promise Sakura chan, everything is going to be alright." Naruto said, grasping one of her hands.

"I believe you Naruto." She said, smiling at him.

Remembering what conspired minutes ago Sakura blushed. She couldn't believe that he out right kissed her like that, making her blush deepen just thinking about it. Seeing her face redden Naruto began to worry again.

"Are you ok Sakura chan?" He asked, placing his other hand on her forehead.

"You're a bit warm." Naruto stated.

"Y Yea I'm fine." Sakura stuttered out, quickly putting some distance between them.

She was trying to calm her racing heartbeat.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked, wondering why she was acting strange again.

"I'm sure" Sakura said, while she made the move to open the door.

Once the door was open they saw that the ruckus was as bad as it sounded. A car was flipped over on the street, while people rushed down the sidewalks. A house down the block was set ablaze. Also in the distance they could see fire and smoke rising up in the city.

"Crap! Let's go Sakura chan!" Naruto yelled, grabbing her hand again.

He led them out into the chaotic city.

000

**_Konoha City_**

_7:04 P.M_

_Night_

_Tuesday_

_Train Station_

Smoke fumes were rising as the metropolis spiraled out of control. Sirens blared, buildings burned as everything became impetuous. Panicking civilians rushed down the city sidewalks. Fear was present on their faces as inhuman sounds permeated the air. If someone had a faraway look of the city they would've thought that a revolution was happening. However, what was occurring now could be considered one.

"This is bad" Kiba stated, hearing the screams coming from the city.

"I know" Hinata said, watching the traffic in front of them.

Both teens were positioned by the bench near the train station's entrance. When the broadcast came on both Kiba and Hinata's family were having dinner with each other at the Hyuuga Estate. Since both families knew each other so well, due to their children's bond, it wasn't unnatural for both of them to meet up for dinner. After seeing the broadcast everyone immediately left the estate and headed towards the train station. However, within the chaos of the city Kiba and Hinata were separated from their families.

This left them with the only option of sticking together through the commotion of citizens. Upon arriving at the station both of them began to worry. They didn't see anyone that they knew. Not knowing if their families had left or not Kiba and Hinata decided to wait it out. Their hopes were high. It's been close to an hour now and they have yet to see any of their family members.

"I hope everyone's ok." Hinata said, seating down on the station's bench.

Seeing his friend worried Kiba sat next to her and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Hey, don't worry alright. Everything is going to be fine." He said, smiling at her.

"How can you be so sure?" Hinata asked.

"Well, since we didn't run into one of those things on T.V I can pretty much say that they're not on this side of the city yet." Kiba said.

Hinata nodded her head in understanding. She was happy to hear some good news.

"And secondly the train station is here on the west side of the whole city where all our friends and families live." He said, rubbing her shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure our friends won't run into those things either." Kiba stated

He knew that since the broadcast was shot somewhere near the hospital, which was on the other side of the city, the infection will be more prominent there than where they were standing.

"But eventually they will." Hinata whispered.

"Yea, but. . ." Kiba began.

"Kiba! Hinata!" A voice yelled.

Both teens turned to see who was calling them. To their surprise and relief Neji came rushing up the station's steps. He stopped when he reached the bench.

"Neji Niisan!" Hinata yelled, standing up to hug him.

"Where's everyone?" Neji asked, seeing only Kiba.

"Kiba kun and I got separated from our families because of the commotion." Hinata said, letting go of Neji.

She watched as people got out of their cars. From the looks of it there seemed to be a traffic jam.

"We've been waiting here half an hour already, trying to see if they left or not." Kiba explained, from his spot on the bench.

"I see, did you get Sakura's text message?" Neji asked, watching civilians rush into the train station.

"No, we left our cell phones at the estate." Hinata replied.

"What did her text say?" Kiba asked.

"It said that we should all meet up here and board a train." Neji said.

"Well they need to hurry up before all the trains are gone." Kiba said, watching more people rush up the steps.

"And before the infected show up." Neji added, looking over the city.

"When was her last text?" Hinata asked.

"25 minutes ago." Neji stated.

"Do you think that Shikamaru and Ino got it?" Kiba asked.

"Not sure, but if not they should still be on their way here." Neji replied.

He watched as the chaos in front of the train station unfolded. The city was becoming a mess. Glass was scattered on the ground. Smoke was becoming more apparent in the air, while cars honked up a storm due to backed up traffic. As the city became more chaotic fire started to spread quickly. This made occupied streets a hazard zone. Then out of nowhere a huge explosion was heard down the road illuminating the night sky with its destructive fumes.

"W What was that?" Hinata asked, in a frighten tone.

"2 cars crashed into each other." Kiba said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

He was trying to calm her down.

"You guys!" A male voice yelled.

Faster than their legs should carry them Naruto and Sakura bounded up the train station's steps.

"Where's Shikamaru and Ino?" Naruto asked, when him and Sakura made it up the steps.

"They're not here yet." Neji replied.

"Damn it! Where can they be?" Naruto shouted.

"They should be here in a few more minutes." Kiba stated, still holding Hinata.

"I hope they show up soon because there are only 3 trains left." Sakura said.

Looking inside the train station shock came across everyone's face at what they saw. On the big jumbo board, which displayed arrival and departing times, they saw that there were only 3 trains left that have yet to leave the station. Two of the trains were heading towards Suna City while the last one was heading towards a port town in the Tea Country.

"This is bad" Naruto stated, adjusting his backpack.

"Yea, I hope. . ." Sakura began.

"We got to go!" A recognizable male voice interrupted her.

Looking down the station's steps the group saw Shikamaru and Ino rushing towards them. However, something seemed different about the two. Both were breathing heavy and sweating profusely, but what really caught everyone's attention were their eyes. They never saw so much fear in their lives. The facial expressions that the couple wore only further complimented the group's evaluation. They were scared shitless. What the hell happened?

"What's wrong?" Neji asked, sensing their distress.

"I can't explain it now, but let's get the hell up out of here!" Shikamaru shouted, in desperation.

This made all his friends look at him. What could have caused Shikamaru to act like this? It took a lot of effort to get him to show this much emotion. Then realization washed over the group.

"D Did you see. . ?" Hinata began, before a terrible cry filled the air.

Looking across from the station the whole group froze. They couldn't believe their eyes. It was like watching a horror movie as pale, decomposed looking beings came walking down the street. Civilians still in the city started to run faster, but they didn't get too far. More screams pierced the air when the infected attacked their prey. Limbs and organs were ripped from the victim's bodies. The group of teens were horrified watching the infected eat their kill. Blood was smeared all over their decomposed flesh.

"What the hell are they?" Naruto asked, horrified.

"I don't know man, but let's go before they get here!" Shikamaru yelled.

As if fate was acting cruel some of the infected started walking towards the train station. They were clearly interested in the people who were rushing inside.

"Shit! Let's go! Their faster than they look!" Shikamaru exclaimed, grabbing Ino's hand.

Rushing into the train station and down the terminal hall the group couldn't help but hear screams of anguish behind themselves. Even when they were in front of the entire crowd the need to run faster became present in their legs.

"What the hell!" Naruto yelled.

"I told you! Just keep running!" Shikamaru exclaimed, as they ran with other civilians.

Upon reaching the departing area of the train station two things became evident. One was that two of the trains had already left leaving only one behind for new arrivals. The second thing was that the infected were gaining on them. This was very clear since more screams could be heard behind them.

"Come on you guys!" Naruto yelled, as the group made their way to the last train.

Barely making it on board the train the group of friends were experiencing many emotions.

Relief,

Reassurance,

Safety,

And peace.

**. . . . . .**

That was until now.

000

**_PRESENT_**

People were panicking with an infected's head stuck in the window. It continued to chop its jaws at them. Seeing that no one was going to do anything Naruto got up from his seat and grabbed the fire extinguisher nearby.

"Naruto! What are you doing?" Sakura yelled.

She watched as he made his way towards the infected.

"This!" Naruto replied.

He rammed the fire extinguisher against the infected's head. As soon as it made contact the infected was knocked out of the train's window. This caused the other infected to stop their assault. Then like a miracle the train shot its self out of the station, leading it's passengers to a safer new place. Everyone looked outside their windows and at the city they lived in. Fire could be seen as clear as day while smoke rose in the air. Not much was seen next due to the train passing through the forest blocking the passenger's view of their beloved city.

000

**_Kiri City_**

_7:38 A.M_

_Morning _

_Wednesday_

_Vapor Islands_

"That was great!" Kushina breathed, moving out of her husband's arms.

"It sure was." Minato said, lying on the soft fabric of their hotel bed.

Both lovers were at an expensive resort on the Vapor Islands, which is Kiri City's most famous attraction site. After being on the ship for two days with its all you can eat buffet and activities the couple decided to get away from the cruise for a bit. So, when the ship docked on the island they booked a hotel room and haven't been seen since. However, what would you expect from two lovers wanting their privacy.

"I wonder what our son is doing back home?" Minato said, watching his wife put on some clothes.

"Knowing him he would have thrown a party by now." Kushina stated, putting on a long blouse with sandals.

"You're right, I hope nothings broken when we get back." Minato said.

His wife laughed at him.

"Are you still upset over your broken track record trophy?" Kushina asked.

"Kind of, but they should've been more careful." Minato said, laying his back against the bed's head board.

"True, but you have plenty of other medals and trophies at home." She said, grabbing her purse.

"I know, but the one they broke was the first one I've ever gotten from high school." Minato said, ruffling his blond hair.

"Well whose wise idea was it to leave it on the kitchen counter?" Kushina said, sarcastically.

"You do have a good point." Minato said, with a thoughtful expression.

Kushina just laughed and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Where you going?" He asked, watching her head towards the door.

"I'm just going to go look around the island. Then, I might stop by the hot springs for a bit." Kushina said, making her way out the door.

Once alone Minato grabbed the remote control off the bed side desk and turned on the T.V. After surfing the channels for a good five minutes and not finding anything good to watch he glanced outside the window. He watched as a couple of doves flew by. Clouds swirled in the air due to a small current. As soon as his mind began to drift off his cell phone started to ring, disrupting his sleeping spell.

"Hello?" Minato answered.

He was confused that someone was calling him on his break.

"Minato" A recognizable voice replied.

"Hiruzen?" Minato said, in shock.

Why was he calling him?

"I don't have much time to explain, but your services are needed again in the agency." Hiruzen said, in a rushed voice.

"Huh? What are you talking about? What's going on?" Minato asked, in confusion.

"I can't explain everything right now, but there's a huge epidemic going on and your skills are needed again." Hiruzen said.

There was a moment of silence on Minato's end of the line.

"I'm being reinstated aren't I?" He said.

"Yes you are and I know you quit the agency for your own purposes, but this epidemic is huge and we need your help." Hiruzen said, before screams were heard on his end.

"What's that?" Minato asked, hearing all the ruckus.

"Something that's going to be discussed, but let's meet up in the Iron Country and I'll tell you all the details there." Hiruzen said, before ending the line.

Sighing deeply Minato sat up in bed.

'What's going on out there?' He thought, before leaving the comforts of his bed to pack.

000

_Thanks for reading. Please review._

_~N4S~_


	4. What Now?

_Revised:_

_ENJOY!_

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**_

000

_**Forest**_

_6:42 A.M_

_Morning_

_Wednesday_

_Train _

The train was silent as everyone's minds ran wild at what occurred hours ago. Just the sight of innocent people being mauled by deranged creatures can take a toll on a person's mindscape quite badly, causing them to be locked away in their own thoughts. The notion of death is very detrimental to the human mind. It can leave a person wondering if their own death is soon to come. This was happening now to the passengers due to the fact that they thought their lives were put at risk. The train was filled within a void of muteness. However, our young friends were doing a pleasant job on keeping their emotions in check. So unlike other people who were becoming detached to the world our group was plotting on their survival.

"So, what do you guys think we should do?" Kiba asked, among the silence.

It was the first time that anyone has spoken since the breakout.

"First we need to find shelter." Shikamaru stated, wrapping an arm around Ino's shoulders.

She was asleep. During their venture from Konoha city Ino let her subconscious take over. She was extremely tired.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea since we'll need a place to eat, sleep, and rest." Kiba said, relaxing on the bench they were sitting on.

"Do you have any idea on where we can stay?" He asked.

"Not a place we'll stay for long, but a temporary shelter where we can stay at before leaving." Shikamaru said.

His friends looked at him. They were confused by his statement.

"Before leaving? What are you talking about?" Kiba asked, confused.

"Yea, wouldn't it be wise for us to stay put in the Tea Country?" Hinata questioned.

"I would agree with you Hinata, but something tells me that this won't be our last confrontation with the infected." Shikamaru said, steadying Ino's sleeping body as the train started to jerk.

"Why would you say that?" Naruto asked.

"Just think about it. An infection breaks out across the entire city turning people into these zombified looking beings. What would you think?" Shikamaru said, looking at Naruto.

"Even if the Army, Navy, or Marines intervene I bet they will take their sweet time on doing anything about this, which in terms will make the infection spread." Shikamaru said.

He looked outside the window.

"In the past I would've laughed at the thought of zombies, but now that I see them with my own eyes everything we do now has to be cautioned." Shikamaru said, watching a few trees pass by.

"Shikamaru is right you guys." Neji spoke up, causing his friends to redirect their stares to him.

"If this infection does spread we'll be like seating ducks in the Tea Country." He stated.

"Not that I'm basing our survival on some game or movie, but the people who are least prepared always die." Neji said.

This basic information was all that was needed for everyone know that their situation was serious. They grasped the concept very quickly.

"You do have a point there, but where are we going to stay?" Kiba asked again, causing everyone to think.

"We could stay at my family's summer home." Sakura spoke up.

"Your family has a house in the Tea Country?" Naruto asked, surprised.

"Yea, but we only use it on vacations and I haven't been there in years." She said, sheepishly.

"How far away is it from the train station?" Hinata asked.

"About 10 to 15 minutes and its located right next to the Hiroshi River." Sakura replied.

Relief washed over everyone's face at this news. They were happy to hear that they had a place to go to as the train moved towards Hiroshi Town. However, there was one person who seemed to be trapped in his own thoughts.

"I never knew you had a summer home in the Tea Country." Naruto muttered, causing Sakura to stare at him.

"Well, I haven't been there since I was 6 years old." Sakura stated, quirking an eyebrow.

She was caught off guard by his unexpected mood swing.

"And you were around the same age when I started going on my vacations with your family Naruto." Sakura stated, causing him to blink.

"Huh?" Naruto said, surprised.

As if the gears had finally connected in his head a blush appeared on his cheeks.

"Oooh yea" Naruto said, slowly.

He scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Baka" Sakura muttered, shaking her head.

"Okay, so we stay at your family's summer house. Then what?" Kiba asked.

"Then we'll need supplies." Shikamaru said, drawing his attention away from the window.

"What kind of supplies?" Hinata asked.

"Just the essentials" He stated.

"Like clothes and food?" Hinata questioned, making Shikamaru nod.

"Yea and we're going to need flashlights." He stated.

This caused him to be targeted by stares once again.

"Ok I understand why we need clothes and stuff, but what's up with the flashlights?" Kiba asked.

"You do realize that if the infection does spread we'll have to keep moving even through the night." Shikamaru replied, making everyone perk up at this.

"Man, I didn't think it was going to be that serious." Kiba stated, in disbelief.

"There is one thing we haven't taken into consideration yet." Neji said, gaining his friends attention.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"If we do come across an infected how are we going to defend ourselves?" Neji questioned.

This shocked the group greatly. What were they going to do against an infected? They clearly couldn't have a fist fight with one of them due to the infecteds improve strength. This was evident when they almost tipped the train over back at the train station. Not knowing if the infection was transmittable or not there stood a pretty big chance that they could get infected as well. This caused everyone to be on edge. They knew what this implied. Shikamaru sighed and looked outside the window again.

"We'll talk about it once we get off the train." He said, watching the clouds drift off in the sky.

000

_**Iron City**_

_12:00 A.M_

_Morning_

_Friday_

_UNPA Base_

"Welcome back to the UNPA Minato san." Said a woman with glossy, brown hair.

Quickly adjusting to his new environment Minato smiled and straightened his posture.

"It's great to be back, Ramona." He said, causing the brunette to smirk.

"So what's going on here?" Minato asked.

He began to follow her when she started to walk.

"At around 5:20 p.m the other day a serious epidemic appeared across the world." Ramona said.

Her black high heel boots made a clicking sound as they walked.

"What type of epidemic?" Minato asked.

"A viral one." Ramona replied.

"Virus?" He questioned.

"Yes and so far our doctors haven't found one clue that indicates that this virus is curable." Ramona said.

She took a turn down a corridor away from the main lobby.

"You guys already have infected individuals?" Minato asked, still following.

"Yes, but the people we do have in custody are only at the beginning stages of the infection." Ramona said, as they passed other UNPA officers.

"Just what kind of infection are we dealing with?" Minato asked, causing Ramona to stop in front of him.

"I never thought that I would live to see the day when such a thing would occur, but since this is reality and I'm not dreaming I'm quite surprise." She said, turning towards him.

"The infection we're dealing with turn humans into zombified beings." Ramona stated.

"Zombies?" Minato questioned, not convinced.

It was hard for him to believe that such a thing would occur.

"Yes zombies and if you were to see it with your own eyes that will be your best way to describe them." Ramona said, placing a hand on her hip.

"I thought we only had people at the beginning stages of the infection." Minato said, remembering this fact.

"That is true, but there is one person we have that has transformed the most." Ramona stated, taking a deep breath.

"How bad is it?" Minato asked.

He noticed that she was having trouble formulating words.

"It's horrible Minato san. The man's flesh is starting to decompose and his eyes are becoming blood shot." Ramona said, after finding her voice again.

"All the man was experiencing last night when he was brought in was a high fever, sweating, and vomiting." She stated.

"I never thought that this would happen to him." Ramona continued, in disbelief.

"It sounds pretty lethal." Minato said, causing Ramona to nod.

"Yes, that's why we need a pure sample of the virus to create a cure." Ramona said.

"That's going to be a tough job since viruses are quite hard to cure, but couldn't we just get it from the people we already have?" Minato asked.

"Like in their blood?" He questioned.

"It's true that the virus is present in bodily fluids, but since they're only at the beginning stages of the infection their blood won't be very useful." Ramona stated.

"So we're like at a dead end now, racing to find a cure." Minato said.

"That's right." Ramona replied.

"That means until this man fully turns. . ." Minato started, but didn't finish.

"Sadly yes, but more will be explained to you later." Ramona said, beginning to walk again.

"How far has this infection spread?" Minato asked, following her.

"It's only hit the Fire and Wind countries so far, but something tells us that it will appear elsewhere." Ramona stated.

"So what are our plans to prevent this infection's advance towards other places?" Minato asked.

They finally reached an elevator.

"There's nothing much we can do now, but some of our agents are sweeping across the Iron Country as we speak looking for infected personals." Ramona said.

"And how's that going?" Minato asked, as the elevator doors opened.

"Pretty good since only a handful of people were found infected, but all of them are in our care." Ramona said.

Nodding his head Minato stepped inside the elevator. His brain was still processing the information he just heard.

"Here, use my I.D to get to the sub levels of the base and there you'll meet Hiruzen Sama." Ramona said, giving him her I.D card.

"Alright" Minato said, grabbing the blue printed card.

As soon as she gave him the I.D card the elevator doors closed. This blocked off any form of communication between the two. Left alone inside the elevator Minato started to reminisce. A small smile broke out across his face.

"This sure does bring back some old memories." He muttered, before inserting the I.D card inside a slot below the control panel.

The elevator made a shuttering sound before it started to descend. As the elevator descended Minato's mind began to wonder. He never thought he would be faced with this kind of situation after him and his wife's vacation. Once they left the Vapor Islands on a private jet Kushina bombarded him with questions. After answering them to the best of his ability she was quite shocked to learn that he was reinstated back into the UNPA. Worry started to settle deeply in her subconscious. She knew full well what the organization did for a living.

During their flight both parents were quite nervous since neither of them could get into contact with their son. Due to being in a different region of the world they could do so little to call. However, knowing how Naruto acts sometimes they wouldn't be surprised if he didn't answer his phone. In fact they'll probably be sent straight to voice mail, knowing that he will be still fuming over their departure. As time flew by they decided not to worry about it, believing that he was doing alright. However, with the new information Minato gained he started to worry. He didn't like the many case scenarios that began to run through his head.

'I hope you're ok out there Naruto.' Minato said mentally, as the elevator continued to descend.

000

_**Unknown**_

_2:24 P.M_

_Noon_

_Saturday_

_Unknown_

"How did it go?" Orochimaru asked, upon Kabuto's arrival to the hideout.

"It went on without a hitch. They don't expect a thing." Kabuto said.

"Excellent!" Orochimaru exclaimed, chuckling to himself.

"Is the next phase of the operation ready?" Kabuto asked, adjusting his glasses.

"Yes and it can be executed at any given time however, it seems like a bug is trying to interfere." Orochimaru said, causing Kabuto to quirk an eyebrow.

"The UNPA"

A wave of recognition crossed Kabuto's face at the simple statement.

"I see" Kabuto said, in a measured voice.

"Yes, and while they're snooping around we have to be cautious of our actions." Orochimaru said, sighing.

"So, how are we going to go about this?" Kabuto questioned.

"I was attempting to launch the virus in every major country in the world, but since the UNPA is moving faster than I expected I guess we'll just settle for attacking the smaller ones first." Orochimaru replied.

"That will be a smart play, seeing that all the organization's focus will be on bigger countries." Kabuto stated.

He knew that the UNPA's elite force will be scouring all over the Fire and Wind Countries.

"But what about the Iron Country?" Kabuto asked.

"Since the UNPA is stationed there I wouldn't be surprise if that whole country goes into an immediate lockdown." Orochimaru said.

"So it's unreachable now." Kabuto stated.

"Perhaps, but in due time both of them will fall." Orochimaru said, laughing.

000

_**Hiroshi Town**_

_6:38 P.M_

_Night_

_Wednesday_

_Haruno Household_

The soft pitter platter of rain outside the Haruno house echoed throughout Sakura's bedroom. This was only a welcome reprieve to Sakura as she laid down on her bed, tired and worn out by the day's events. Once the group reached Hiroshi Town a lot of stressful things occurred. It seems that news of the breakout had reached other places. So to make sure that the infection didn't spread every personal coming from Konoha City had to be checked.

After being stuck by doctors and escorted by police our young friends were sore and exhausted, which only grew worse on their vigorous cab drive to Sakura's house. Once there the group was able to rest up and formulate a plan. Knowing that the infection could soon spread they had to set a lot of things to mind. Finding a new destination, provisions, defense and movement were their top priorities. Lucky for them Naruto mentioned his family's own summer home near Kiri City. By the brief description he gave it was a private estate covered by an evergreen forest.

_**Flash Back**_

"_**It's a perfect place for us to go, since not too many people know we own the land." Naruto said, during him and his friend's brief planning period in the living room.**_

"_**And even if the infection does hit there I bet no one will try to escape through the forest, not knowing what lies ahead." Naruto stated, assuredly. **_

_**He saw that everyone was showing some form of doubt.**_

"_**If they were desperate on surviving they will, but what about the infected?" Neji questioned, from his spot in the living room.**_

"_**What about them?" Naruto said, in confusion.**_

"_**Worrying that other people will occupy your family's house is one thing, but what will we do if the whole place is crawling with infected?" Neji asked.**_

_**Nobody said a word. Silence was the only thing that answered Neji's question. It was mind boggling.**_

"_**I wouldn't be surprised if those things started wandering around in order to find fresh new things to chow down on." Neji stated.**_

"_**I just pray that we make it there before the infection hits and if it does, hopefully the estate will be vacant as a graveyard." Shikamaru said.**_

_**Silence filled the air once again as everyone's minds drifted off. The only noise that was being made was the thundering outside the house. This only indicated that a storm was fast approaching. The silence dragged on for quite some time until another question was asked and this question was needling everyone's subconscious.**_

"_**I wonder where our parents are." Kiba said, causing Ino to burst into tears.**_

"_**What?" Kiba asked, bewildered.**_

_**He watched as Shikamaru comforted his girlfriend.**_

"_**It was during the chaos in Konoha that. . .I don't know, but I think that Mr. and Mrs. Yamanaka san are dead." Shikamaru said. **_

_**A wave of shock appeared across his friend's faces.**_

"_**Dead? What do you mean dead!?" Naruto exclaimed.**_

"_**I mean dead! Gone! Never to return Naruto!" Shikamaru yelled, when Ino started crying harder.**_

"_**Hey! Calm down you two before you do something you'll regret!" Sakura said. **_

_**She was trying to calm the tension between both friends. Once both their tempers were calmed down and Ino was less sniveling everyone got the full story. It was after the broadcast in Konoha that both Ino and her parents along with Shikamaru decided to head out. They were among the many people who saw the disorientated figure in the background. **_

_**While in the commotion of the city, on their way to the train station, a high pitched shriek filled the air. It didn't take long to identify what caused it and for a stampede to occur throughout the city. It was during this time that Mrs. Yamanaka fell, due to the harshness of the crowd and was almost left behind by her companions. Pushing through the influx of people to get to his wife Inoichi noticed something in his direct vision. It was a living horror to him when he realized that many infected were approaching and fast! Knowing that he was the only one who could reach his wife in time he directed Ino and Shikamaru to go on, promising that they will catch up later. However, they never did.**_

"_**Ino san" Hinata said, softly. **_

_**She placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.**_

"_**There's no telling what's happen to them." Shikamaru said, still comforting Ino.**_

"_**Did you try calling them on their cell phones?" Naruto asked.**_

"_**No, we don't have our phones with us and I bet they don't either since we pretty much up and left the house after the broadcast." Shikamaru replied, gloomily.**_

_**He knew that if Ino's parents were really are dead then what will be the point of it.**_

"_**Same here, me and Hinata don't have our phones either." Kiba said.**_

"_**Well it doesn't really matter since from the looks of it we can't get a signal here." Neji said, looking at his phone.**_

_**This caused Naruto and Sakura to check their phones as well. They came out empty handed.**_

"_**Damn! Now we'll never get in contact with anyone." Naruto said, rummaging through his phone.**_

"_**It shouldn't be surprising since this is a different country." Neji stated, putting his phone away.**_

"_**Isn't there a house phone here?" Hinata asked. **_

_**A clap of thunder echoed throughout the house.**_

"_**Yes there is, but since we don't get much satellite service here and only have dial-up the phone will be really. . ." Sakura said, not finishing.**_

"_**Slow" Kiba said, finishing her sentence.**_

"_**Yea, and even with that it takes forever just to get through." Sakura said, sighing.**_

"_**Well this sucks." Kiba said, huffing over their predicament.**_

"_**It's not like we're staying here forever." Shikamaru said, now that Ino stopped crying.**_

"_**So how far is your family's estate from here?" Shikamaru asked, causing Naruto to think.**_

"_**I'll say about. . .a week and a halves journey." Naruto stated.**_

"_**Why?" He asked.**_

"_**Because the sooner we leave here the better." Shikamaru stated, standing up.**_

"_**Wait, you want us to leave now?" Kiba asked, in disbelief.**_

"_**No, but sometime early in the morning." Shikamaru said, looking outside the window.**_

_**It was completely dark. The street lamps were the only source of light that he could see. Even with this the neighborhood was still pitch black. Shikamaru watched as a lightning bolt was shot out in the distance. It lit the night sky with its emitted heat.**_

"_**Look you guys, Hiroshi Town isn't that far away from Konoha City and if what Neji says is true then we need to get as far away from here as possible." Shikamaru said, looking away from the window.**_

"_**And I know that neither one of us wants to see each other get eaten by one of those things." Shikamaru continued, causing his companions to look at him.**_

"_**You guys, we've been friends ever since elementary school, stuck up for each other, even did things that normal friends wouldn't do for one another." Shikamaru said, causing a pang of recognition to cross everyone's face.**_

"_**Even though none of us has said it out loud and this will be a first, but I know that we all consider each other to be close like a family." Shikamaru said.**_

"_**Please you guys! I don't want to see anyone dear to me die right before my eyes!" Shikamaru exclaimed in desperation. **_

_**This caused all his friends to gasp. Since Shikamaru rarely show too much emotion it came as a shock to them at how vulnerable he sounded. He looked like a lost kid. Seeming to regain her mantle and resolve Ino stood up beside him and grasped his hand.**_

"_**Don't worry Shikamaru. You won't lose anybody you love, I'm sure of it." Ino said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.**_

"_**Yea man as long as we got each other's backs nothing can possibly go wrong!" Naruto exclaimed, standing up along with Sakura.**_

"_**Naruto's right Shikamaru. As long as we got each other we can survive this thing." Kiba said, standing up with Hinata as well.**_

_**Everyone smiled at one another. They knew that even through these crises they will always be there for each other. However, there was one person who wasn't standing or smiling. In fact this person seemed to be in deep thought.**_

"_**Neji?" Naruto questioned, wondering why he wasn't joining in. **_

"_**So many things can go wrong, over looked, not checked and us surviving this epidemic is slim at most." Neji said, with his eyes closed.**_

_**It only took five seconds before his eyes opened up, but with a new resolve set in them.**_

"_**However, if we do cover each other and play it safe we might just be able to make it through this." He said, smirking.**_

_**This caused everyone to smile. They were happy that he wasn't deserting them during these tough times.**_

"_**So, what's the plan?" Neji asked, standing up with the rest of his friends.**_

"_**He's right. What are our plans Mr. Brains?" Ino said, causing everyone to laugh.**_

"_**Well, this is what I had in mind. . ." Shikamaru began.**_

_**End of Flash Back**_

Sakura smiled at the memory. It was the first time that everyone admitted that they were a family. However, due to the situation that is present this family needs a whole lot of protection. It's a good thing they all know that they'll have to cover each other's backs to survive this epidemic. Sakura was brought out of her musing when there was a rapid knock at the door.

"Come in" She said, sitting up.

"Hey Sakura chan. What you doing?" Naruto asked, entering her bedroom.

"Nothing much, just thinking about stuff." Sakura replied, combing her fingers through her hair.

This caused Naruto to chuckle before closing the room door.

"Are Ino, Shikamaru, and Kiba back from the store yet?" Sakura asked, remembering them taking off in her dad's truck.

They found the keys in the kitchen drawers.

"No, but Hinata is still in the bathroom taking her shower." Naruto said, sitting beside Sakura.

"Oh? So what's Neji doing?" Sakura asked, folding her legs underneath her.

"Nothing, just watching T.V." Naruto said, ruffling his hair.

There was brief silence between the two as they sat in each other's company. However, the silence that lingered wasn't the weird kind. It was more of a subtle one that could only be achieved by two people who trusted each other for a long time. The soft pitter platter of rain outside the house was quite relaxing to both companions.

"Sakura chan" Naruto said, softly.

He gained her attention.

"Yes, Naruto?" Sakura said, looking at him.

"I wanted to say that. . ." He began, before stopping.

Naruto took a deep breath. He seemed to contemplate the words he was going to say. Sakura had her eyes fixed on him. She wondered what he was going to say.

"I want to say that. . .I'm sorry for kissing you the other day before the broadcast. I don't know what came over me." Naruto blurted out.

He looked away in shame. Sakura was shocked from hearing him say this. Of course he did it out of the blue and surprised her, but she would be lying to herself if she said that she didn't enjoy it.

"Naruto" Sakura said, softly.

She tried to get his attention.

"I know you don't feel the same way that I do Sakura chan. So you don't have to say anything." Naruto said, still looking away from her.

"Naruto" Sakura said again.

She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm really am sorry Sakura chan. It won't happen again I promise." Naruto said, desperately.

He was trying to save the relationship between him and his best friend, which he thought was in jeopardy. Seeing that Naruto wasn't going to pay attention she forcibly turned him around. Giving him no time to speak she planted a kiss right on his lips. Shocked at what was happening Naruto tried to object. He slowly however succumbed to his own desires. After a good minute or so passed both teens broke apart. They breathed heavily from the kiss they shared.

"Sakura chan?" Naruto questioned, through half lidded eyes.

"It's okay Naruto. Would it be a surprise if I told you that I like you too?" Sakura said, causing him to blink.

"What?" Naruto said, shocked.

"I said I like you too. I just didn't know how to go about telling you." Sakura said, turning away from him now.

Naruto was in a state of shock. He couldn't believe his ears. The girl he's been crushing on for as long as he could remember was confessing to him. He thought he'd never see the day. However, now that he has Naruto couldn't stop himself from asking.

"How long?" He asked, softly.

"W What?" Sakura stuttered, looking at him.

"How long have you felt the same way that I do for you?" Naruto asked, looking directly at her now.

Entranced by his ocean blue eyes she could only answer truthfully.

"Ever since you and Shion dated each other." Sakura said, surprising him.

Shion was a girl that Naruto had dated for a while back in middle school. It was also during this time that he actually thought he'd never be enough for his pink haired friend. For a while it was great to finally be in a relationship. However, Naruto always felt a pang of guilt whenever he set his eyes on a certain someone.

"I mean for a while I didn't feel anything, but as time flew by and seeing you 2 always smiling at each other I just. . ." Sakura said, before stopping.

"Felt sad and alone." Naruto finished for her.

He knew the feeling from seeing her date Sasuke.

"Yea, and even after you 2 broke up I still couldn't talk to you about my feelings." Sakura said, turning away from him again.

Another brief silence fell between both friends. They didn't know what to say to one another.

"So, now what?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know? I want us to be together but. . ." Sakura trailed off.

"You're afraid" Naruto finished for her again.

"Yea, with this infection going on I don't know what lies in the future." Sakura said, starting to rub her arms.

"Well, we'll just have to find out together now won't we?" Naruto said, confidently.

He grasped her hand.

"Are you sure?" Sakura questioned, with some doubt.

"Of course I'm sure. Like we said before as long as we got each other's backs we can get through anything." Naruto said, looking her directly in the eyes.

"Besides, just because there's a major epidemic going on that's not going to stop me from claiming the most beautiful girl in the world." Naruto said, causing Sakura to blush.

Seeing her blush he couldn't help but lean in and kiss her again. What they felt was completely different from the last two kisses they shared. This one caused a spark to go off in each of their chest, spreading and warming their bodies until they could feel each other's heartbeat. Sakura gasped as she felt the wet muscle of Naruto's tongue touch the brim of her lips. She shivered once it found its way inside her mouth. Naruto smirked against her lips. He was happy to finally be able to do things with her that he only fantasized on doing.

Gently placing her on his lap Naruto deepened the kiss. He snuck an arm around her waist while his other hand cradled her neck. Sakura could only whimper as the kiss became more passionate. Bringing her arms around his neck she weaved her fingers through Naruto's blond hair. Her eyes closed tightly once Naruto began to kiss his way down her neck. Continuing to descend he eventually stopped to suck on a focal point. Sakura clung onto Naruto desperately as an unknown pressure continued to build within her core. Naruto groaned deeply when she gripped his hair tightly. However, just when the unknown pressure was about to overflow someone knocked on the door startling the both of them. (Damn! We were getting to the good part!)

"Naruto! Sakura! Everyone's back from the store!" Neji exclaimed from the door.

"Alright! We'll be out in a minute!" Naruto yelled.

"Ok" Neji replied, before leaving.

Once the sound of his footsteps faded away Naruto sighed. Both of them began to relax.

"Phew! I thought we got caught there for a second." Naruto said, chuckling.

He unwrapped his arm from around her waist.

"Yea" Sakura said.

She got off his lap. Once they got themselves looking presentable again they decided to leave the room. However, Naruto grasped Sakura's hand before reaching the door.

"I promise Sakura chan. Everything is going to be ok." Naruto said, smiling at her.

"I know Naruto and I believe you." Sakura said, causing him to kiss her on the forehead.

And when Naruto promises something it's bound to be true.

000

_Thanks for reading. Please review._

_~N4S~_


	5. Fog

_Revised:_

_ENJOY!_

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**_

000

_**Haruno Household**_

_2:36 A.M_

_Morning_

_Thursday_

_A male figure kept running in the darkness. He had no sense of direction on where he was going. He only ran where his legs took him. All he knew was that he had to keep moving. Find something, anyone, anything. . .his friends?_

"_You guys! Are you out there!" Naruto yelled out into the darkness._

_He only received silence._

"_Kiba! Shikamaru! Neji! Ino! Hinata!" Naruto continued to yell. _

_He stopped to catch his breath. After replenishing his lungs with oxygen Naruto was about to shout again until an agonizing scream filled the air. His body became rigid with fear._

"_Sakura Chan!" Naruto yelled, running deeper into the darkness._

_He only received another ear, splitting scream. What was causing her to sound this way?_

"_Hang on Sakura Chan! I'm coming!" Naruto yelled, running faster._

_He couldn't see her. Naruto couldn't see a darn thing as he ran! The only guide in the darkness was Sakura's agonizing screams for help. Sweat began to pour out of his body. Adrenaline shot through his veins. He was desperate on finding her, desperate on seeing her, but most of all he was desperate on protecting her. Then the place began to shake as if an earthquake was passing through._

"_Naruto!" Sakura's pained filled scream called out._

"_Sakura Chan!" Naruto shouted. _

_Her voice was closer now. Naruto only got five feet ahead of himself before falling to the floor. He was unable to move due to the ground's relentless quaking._

"_Sakura Chan!" Naruto yelled out. _

_He only received silence. A horrifying chill shot throughout his body when he didn't get a reply. Naruto was trying his best to stand up and run again, but his body couldn't handle the ground's shaking._

"_SAKURA CHAN!"_

Naruto gasped and shot himself out of bed. A cold sweat was running down his face and skin as his heart hammered against his chest. Taking a few slow deep breaths he surveyed the area around him. Moon light was shining in through the window allowing Naruto to see that he was still in Sakura's room. It was the same room where him and his little cherry blossom finally admitted their feelings for one another.

Quickly checking the spot next to him he saw that Sakura was fast asleep. Her entire body was facing towards the left side of the bed near the window. Seeing that she wasn't in any danger Naruto began to relax. He nestled himself back into the warm confines of the bed.

"I'll always protect you Sakura chan." Naruto said, draping the covers back over them.

Placing a protective arm around her waist he sighed.

"Always" Naruto said, before drifting back off to sleep.

000

_**UNPA Base**_

_8:14 A.M_

_Morning_

_Saturday_

_Sub Levels_

"This is deep." Minato said.

He was looking over a gigantic map of the world. So far the only places hit by the infection were the fire and wind countries, which was easy to identify with all the red dots present on the surface. The rest of the map was clear of any markings.

"Yes and even with only 40 percent of the world inflicted by this disease the other 60 percent should not be ignored." Hiruzen stated, gaining Minato's attention.

"So what's the plan?" Minato asked.

"As of right now we're sending some of our agents across the globe to occupy areas that are not infected." Hiruzen replied.

"So you're trying to see how far it's spread?" Minato questioned.

"Not exactly, more on trying to find the culprit who started this mess." Hiruzen said.

Minato furrowed his eyebrows at this.

"Wait, you believe that someone's behind all this?" He asked, astonished.

"Of course, there's no possible way that this infection is a natural occurrence." Hiruzen replied.

"Since the disease showed up in two places at once, not spreading rapidly from one location, there stands a good chance that this infection was planned by someone." Hiruzen continued.

"Man-made" Minato muttered, in disbelief.

"Yes, and even with this as a fact there's still no telling who started this." Hiruzen stated.

Minato's mind began to whirl. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Who would create such a terrible thing? There had to be a major agenda behind all this.

"I wonder what their motives are for creating such a drastic thing." Minato said, regaining his composure.

"I wonder as well, but all we can do now is try and find a cure or vaccine to combat the virus." Hiruzen said.

"So, what you want me to do?" Minato asked.

"I want you and your team to go to Konoha City and try to pick up on any clues that will be beneficial to finding our enemy." Hiruzen replied.

"Ok and what about Suna?" Minato questioned.

"I already have ANBU squads stationed there and their objective is the same as yours." Hiruzen said.

"Will any other squad be working with mine?" Minato asked.

"No, your team will be working alone." Hiruzen began.

"That way you can search diligently throughout the city, not worrying about how many people are with you." He continued, causing Minato to nod.

"I see, it's going to be a lot of hard work, but we'll get the job done." Minato said.

His resolve was set.

"Anything else?" Minato asked.

With calculative eyes Hiruzen observed him carefully. He seemed to decide on something.

"If you have any free time left during the mission, then you can do whatever you want until further notice." Hiruzen said, dismissing him.

Minato nodded his head and began to leave. Relief washed over him knowing that he could finally get some ground on where his son went. That is, of course, if he made it out of the city alive.

000

_**Hiroshi Town**_

_4:14 A.M_

_Dawn_

_Thursday_

"_Breaking News!" _A female voice exclaimed over the radio.

A chilling silence revolved around the room. Nerves were sky rocketing as everyone waited patiently for the reporter to continue. Breathing deeply Naruto wrapped an arm around Sakura's waist. He brought her as close as possible to his side on the couch. They continued to wait in silence.

"_As of now many medical centers and hospitals are becoming over crowded with patients. The people seem to be sporting flu like symptoms such as coughing, sweating, and a high fever. I wouldn't be surprised if this is another influenza outbreak, __**not **__the huge epidemic that's threatening the world now. From the information we've gathered doctors are also aware of the major possibility that these symptoms are the beginning stages of the infection that is sweeping across the nation. However, since these symptoms are so keen to the flu doctors are passing this unexpected event as an influenza outbreak, trying to reassure people of their safety here." _The reporter explained, continuing her report.

"They're so stupid." Kiba muttered, as the reporter went on.

"A deadly disease is spreading across the country and now you have refugees from places that were inflicted by it." He said, rolling his eyes.

"I maybe dense sometimes, but even I can tell that the infection somehow got here." Kiba said, sarcastically.

"Sssshh! Kiba! She's about to make another announcement!" Ino whispered, heatedly.

"_Also the police department along with the army are working on defense. Their plans are to set up barricades at the Tea Country's borders. This will effectively stop the epidemic from reaching us as they do health checks on all people crossing over here." _The reporter said, before the radio was cut off.

There was another moment of silence as everyone processed the information they just heard. If the army set up those barricades then they will never be able to get out of the Tea Country. Sighing, Neji took his hand off the radio. He turned towards Shikamaru.

"What should we do now?" Neji asked, causing everyone to stare at him.

"We need to get the hell out of here." Shikamaru stated, standing up from his seat.

"Let's go" He said, causing everybody to move.

It only took them a few minutes to pack all their belongings inside their bags and place them in the truck. Once this was done they began to look around the house, searching for anything useful that will serve them greatly in the future. Looking behind the house Ino found something. She was surprised by her discovery.

"Isn't this an axe?" Ino questioned.

She stared at the object on the ground.

"It sure is." Kiba said, excitedly.

Rushing to her side and picking it up Kiba examined the weapon. It seemed like a classic old axe with a long, wooden handle and a sturdy blade head. Even if the blade was chipped it was still smooth, perfect for cutting.

"This will come in handy." Kiba said, smiling.

He swung it a few times to get the feel of it.

"I bet it will." Ino said, uncertain.

She really didn't think he should carry a weapon like this since he was smiling like a kid on Christmas day. Disclosing their findings to the rest of their friends and placing it in the truck they immediately set out, knowing that they had wasted enough time as it is.

"How much time will it take for us to make it to the Tuboshi Bridge?" Naruto asked.

"Close to 2 hours." Shikamaru stated, as Neji drove the truck through the neighborhood.

"Do you think the barricades will be up already?" Hinata asked, worried.

"Probably, but hopefully we'll cross the border before that happens." Shikamaru replied, relaxing in his seat.

000

_**UNPA Base**_

_9:04 A.M_

_Saturday_

_Sub Levels_

Placing the last article of clothing over his body Minato glanced at himself through a mirror. Over the years the uniform hasn't changed much. Black sturdy boots were planted towards his feet. Grey combat pants sporting two weapon holsters on each side covered his legs. A light grey, short sleeved shirt laid over his torso, which was also covered by a white vest. No wait, it wasn't completely white. The vest was a mixture of grey and white combined together, giving it a silver like quality. Last, but not least, two sets of fingerless leather gloves were plastered on each hand.

"So, you got reinstated as well huh." Said a cool male voice.

Turning away from the mirror Minato looked at his unexpected guest. The man was wearing the same attire as him, with the exception of half of his face being covered up by a mask. Minato smiled. He knew who was in front of him.

"Yea, you should have seen the look on my face when I found out." Minato said.

"Shock?" Kakashi questioned.

"That along with disbelief." Minato replied, causing Kakashi to nod.

"I thought that my days in this organization were over." Minato said.

"Lots of people did, but during these crises every hand counts." Kakashi stated.

"Yea" Minato said, straightening his vest once more.

"So, what's our objective?" Kakashi asked.

"We are to gather as many clues as possible on who started this infection in Konoha City." Minato replied.

"Hiruzen Sama thinks that someone's behind all this?" Kakashi questioned.

"Yes, since he believes that nothing on this earth can produce something so unnatural." Minato said.

"You have to admit though, this whole incident is quite bizarre." Kakashi said.

"But you never know these days." Minato stated.

"True, then what do we do afterwards?" Kakashi asked.

"Then we rendezvous back at our drop off zone and await further instructions." Minato replied, adjusting his gloves.

"But he did say that we can keep looking around for anything else if we like." Minato muttered.

"You're trying to find Naruto, aren't you?" Kakashi said, knowing the answer.

"This may be the only opportunity I'll get to find out where my son went. I can't waste it." Minato said, seriously.

"I know that his chances of making it out of the city were slim, but something tells me he did." Minato said, eyeing Kakashi. (LOL! A father's intuition huh?)

"You were there, weren't you? When the infection hit. . .What happened?" Minato asked, causing Kakashi to sigh.

He knew that this question would pop up sooner or later, but didn't know how to go about answering it.

"It was Dreadful. . ." Kakashi began.

_**Flash Back**_

"_**Keep moving!" Obito yelled. **_

_**He jammed a broom stick against an adjacent door.**_ _**Obito only took two steps before something started to bang against it. Horrifying shrieks filled the air from behind them.**_

"_**Obito?" Rin said, worryingly. **_

_**She stopped in her tracks down the hall.**_

"_**Just keep going!" Obito exclaimed. **_

_**Reaching her down the hall he grasped Rin's hand and pulled her along the way. Words can't describe how fast they ran. High adrenaline was the only thing that aided them in this task. Reaching the staircase both of them burst through the door, finally catching up with their companions.**_

"_**I thought you guys would never make it." Gai said, relieved.**_

"_**Yea, but we have to keep moving! Those things are gaining on us!" Obito exclaimed.**_

"_**How long until the helicopter gets here Hiruzen Sama?" Kakashi asked, looking at the older man.**_

"_**Any minute now, let's go." Hiruzen replied. **_

_**He led everyone up the stairs.**_ _**It didn't take long for them to reach the top of the capital building. Once the group was on the roof they saw everything. Smoke could be seen everywhere they look. The sound of sirens was apparent in the air. Piercing screams could be heard among the ruckus and houses set ablaze could be seen in the distance. The only light during this turmoil was the fire of burning houses.**_

"_**This is horrible." Rin said, softly. **_

_**Obito wrapped his arms around her.**_

"_**I know" He said, holding her tightly.**_

"_**Darn it! Where's the helicopter?" Gai shouted.**_

"_**There!" Kakashi said, looking up.**_

_**He pointed towards an ominous figure floating among the darken sky. It was making its way towards them. Time wasn't wasted as the helicopter descended and dropped a ladder down. However, terrifying sounds came roaring up through the staircase exit.**_

"_**Damn!" Gai yelled, going back to lock the exit doors.**_

_**Everyone was swift as they scurried up the ladder. They nestled themselves inside the safe area of the helicopter. Kakashi had just placed his hands on the ladder before a thought occurred to him and spun around.**_

"_**Gai!" Kakashi shouted, looking at his friend.**_

_**The situation he saw wasn't good. It was taking all of Gai's strength to keep the doors closed. This was an amazing feat since a lot of noises was coming from behind it. Closer examination showed that the door's locks were already set. However, even with this they kept bending at an alarming rate.**_

"_**Just go Kakashi and get out of here!" Gai exclaimed, struggling with the doors.**_

"_**Gai. . ." Kakashi began, only to be interrupted.**_

"_**Go before it's too late!" Gai said, eyeing him.**_

_**Conflicting emotions spread across Kakashi's face, not knowing what to do.**_

"_**Just go" Gai muttered.**_

_**Turning stiffly away Kakashi started to scale the ladder as it floated away from the building. However, that did little to stop his ears from picking up the sound of broken metal and the scream that followed.**_

_**End of Flash Back.**_

"Gai didn't make it." Minato whispered, causing Kakashi to take a deep breath.

"Yea" Kakashi said, rubbing his neck.

"Sorry for what happened." Minato said.

He saw that Kakashi was becoming uncomfortable.

"Thanks, but we have more important things to worry about." Kakashi said, beginning to leave the room.

"Where are Obito and Rin?" Minato asked, following.

"They're in the armory, where we need to be before leaving." Kakashi stated, as they made a turn down the hallway.

"When do we depart?" Kakashi asked.

"In 5 minutes" Minato replied.

"Great" Kakashi said, while they continued to walk.

000

_**Tea Country **_

_5:40 A.M_

_Dawn_

_Thursday_

_Road_

The truck was silent with most of its passengers asleep in their seats. As soon as the group hit the road Shikamaru gave a brief summary on what they were going to do. The plan was quite simple, which was to get as much distance away from the Tea Country as possible. While the truck moved everyone checked their bags. They made sure that they had everything like clothes, food, water, and flashlights. There was the added concern on what kind of weaponry they'll use since none of them had the money or the age limit to purchase a gun. The axe was a great weapon to use if an infected ever got too close to them.

However, they all agreed to find something else. They clearly didn't want to be a foot inch away from an infected. Fortunately for them, with Sakura's dad being a police cop, they found a shotgun already loaded with ammunition in the back of the truck. A wave of relief washed over the group at this discovery, then they set their minds on other things. After getting a broad idea on what was going to happen and Ino digging out every piece of detail about Naruto and Sakura's union, everyone started to nod off. They were clearly too sleepy from waking up early.

Neji sighed as he kept his eyes on the road. It was silent. Straightening his posture he turned on the wind shield wipers. A fog became present outside.

'I need to slow down.' Neji thought.

He lessened his pressure on the gas pedal. While everyone slept Neji was left with the job as driver, which really didn't bother him much since he couldn't fall back off to sleep. Besides, he had already gained a decent amount of rest and needed to do something to occupy his time. Feeling that it was too quiet for his liking Neji turned on the radio. It was playing some song by FUN.

_Tonight!_

_We are young!_

_So let's set the world on fire!_

_We can burn brighter!_

_Than the sun!_

_Tonight!_

_We are young!_

_So let's set the world on fire!_

_We can burn brighter!_

_Than the sun!_

Hinata started to stir in the passenger's seat, causing Neji to turn the volume down. Waking up fully Hinata rubbed her eyes. A yawn escaped her lips.

"Have we crossed the bridge?" She asked, sitting up straight.

"No, not yet." Neji replied, turning the steering wheel.

"How much longer until we reach it?" Hinata asked, stretching her arms.

Her muscles were kind of sore from sleeping in an odd position against the door.

"Probably in 10 more minutes." Neji said.

He kept his eyes on the road. After driving a bit longer it became evident that the fog was becoming thicker. It was so thick that Neji and Hinata could hardly see five feet in front of the truck.

"This fog isn't letting up." Hinata said, straining her eyes.

"I Know" Neji said.

He cut on the head lights.

"Wait, what's that?" Hinata asked.

"What?" Neji said, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"That" Hinata replied.

She turned off the radio. At first Neji wondered what she was doing, until he heard it. The sound couldn't be heard earlier due to the radio, but now it was clear. Quickly pulling the truck over Neji turned off the engine, making the sound ring much louder.

"What is that?" Hinata asked, wondering.

"Sounds like a siren." A voice spoke up.

Both Neji and Hinata turned around. They came face to face with Shikamaru and the rest of their friends, apparently waking up due to the noise.

"Siren?" Kiba questioned.

"Yea" Shikamaru replied, while everyone listened to the siren's blaring.

"I wonder why it's sounding?" Ino said.

"You know why." Shikamaru stated, emphatically.

It didn't take a brainer to know that sirens blared when there's distress. They're pretty much used as warning calls in cities. Since the group escaped from turmoil already everyone became on edge. They knew what was about to happen.

"Let's get out of here." Kiba said, leaning against the door.

Everyone nodded and nestled themselves back in their seats, clearly wanting to get away from the disaster that was soon to follow. Then it happened. It was too fast, quick, and instantaneous for anyone to react on time. Neji was only able to start the engine of the truck before a shriek and the sound of shattered glass filled the air.

000

_Thanks for reading. Please review._

_~N4S~_

_**Fun Fact:**_

_**The UNPA stands for Undercover, National, Protection, Agency. This agency's job is to tackle cases that are really top secret and dispose of missions that threatens humanity. **_


	6. New Developments

_Revised:_

_ENJOY!_

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**_

000

_**Tea Country **_

_5:51 A.M_

_Dawn_

_Thursday_

_Road_

Terror is the only word that can describe what everyone felt at the moment. They couldn't move. They couldn't think. They couldn't do anything, all because of the danger that presented itself to them. However, how could you react to the blood shot eyes of the thing that's been haunting you and your waking hours only a few feet away? Stillness is the only form of action everyone's muscles could take. They were rigid with the anticipation on doing something. It was only due to the sound of a thud, gasp and choked cry for help when everyone sprung into action.

"Kiba!" Hinata yelled, throwing herself out of the passenger's seat.

He was currently getting strangled in the back seat.

"Shit!" Naruto exclaimed.

Both him and Shikamaru helped Hinata. It was futile. From his position against the door Kiba was getting strangled from behind. He clawed madly at the arm that formed a vice like grip around his neck through the window. Trying feverishly to get him out the infected continued to pull Kiba's body, only to succeed in banging his back against the truck's door. Shrieking at this realization the infected started jerking his body harder.

"Damn it!" Shikamaru exclaimed, as him and Naruto pulled against the infected's arm.

"Let go of him!" Hinata yelled, holding onto Kiba.

"Neji!" Ino shrieked.

She pointed towards the front of the truck. At first he couldn't see anything due to the ominous clouds close to the ground, but after a few seconds Neji could make out a few silhouettes among the fog. Their swift movement and loud war cries were a dead giveaway as they made a beeline towards the truck. (DAMN!)

"Hang on!" Neji exclaimed, before pressing hard on the gas pedal.

Shooting down the road the truck effectively knocked over its incoming invaders, rendering the poor things useless on the ground. However, it did little to ease Kiba's situation who was still being strangled. The only good thing about their new predicament was that the infected's grip had lessen.

"We almost got it!" Naruto exclaimed.

Both him and Shikamaru continued to pull against the offending arm. It only took half a minute before Kiba was released from the infected's grasp and stumbled forward in the back seat. He fell into Hinata's lap, unconscious.

"Kiba!" Hinata said, frantically.

He didn't respond. Seeing that Kiba was no longer being held hostage Naruto reached for the shotgun. He knew that now was the best time to get rid of the infected. Just when his hand was about to touch the gun a voice stopped him.

"You're not going to get a good aim with the truck still moving this fast." Shikamaru began, making Naruto stop in his tracks.

"The best thing you'll do is just cause the bullets to ricochet back in here." Shikamaru stated.

It was also because of Shikamaru's brief statements that Naruto didn't reach for the axe either. Everyone braced themselves when the truck took a sharp turn down the road. They held on tightly to their seats once its speed accelerated. It became clear that the infected wasn't going to let go anytime soon. Its hold on the door was so tight that even with the truck going 50mph it was still able to pop its head back in through the window, making everyone yell in objection. Knowing that there was nothing else they could do Neji's grip on the steering wheel tightened.

"Hold on!" He exclaimed.

Neji pressed on the brakes and jerked the steering wheel **hard**. With that said the truck did a complete 360 spin down the road. The sound of screeching rubber on gravel was the only thing heard in the air. Eyes were closed tight as the truck shook violently, limbs rigid bracing themselves. If they were to open their eyes everything in their immediate sight would be spinning out of control, making anyone woozy from the deformed shapes. It was only after the truck had stopped when everyone came back to their senses. Most of them were slightly dizzy from the twirling.

"Is everyone ok?" Neji asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Yea, just slightly shaken up." Sakura replied, slowly.

She was trying to stop her world from spinning.

"What the hell Neji!" Naruto yelled, looking at his friend.

Neji only pointed towards the front of the truck where everyone saw a figure slowly standing up from the ground.

"Is that. . ?" Ino said, astonished.

She quickly checked the door where her and her friend's adversary used to be.

"Yes"

This was all Neji had to say before quickly putting the truck in drive and speeding forward. The impact was devastating. The infected only had the chance to shriek before blood suddenly covered the front window of the truck. Flesh clung onto the wind shield wipers as the vehicle drove down the road, causing some eyes to widen. Still able to see through the window Neji continued to drive. He wasn't fazed by the blood being displayed.

"That was close." Neji muttered, checking the rear view mirrors.

He searched for any more signs of the infected, only to find none. More light was finally starting to break through the sky as the truck drove in silence. No one said a word, all minds were reeling at what happened a few minutes ago. Trying to shake off the infected's gruesome end the group shuddered at remembering all the blood that came forth from its demise. It was only after hearing groans of pain when everyone came out of their stupor.

"Kiba?" Hinata said, holding his head in her lap.

"Let me see him." Sakura said, as Ino moved to sit in the passenger's seat.

This allowed Sakura to position herself next to Hinata and get a better look at him. After looking Kiba over she found out what the problem was. All around his neck Sakura could see bruises starting to form, which from a closer look showed to be bright red. This only indicated to her that swelling was sure to follow and breathing will be difficult.

'We have to get something cold around his neck and soon.' Sakura thought, continuing her examination.

It only took but a few seconds later until another thought occurred to her.

"Hinata, hold him up for a minute." Sakura said.

"Huh?" Hinata replied, confused.

"Just for a minute, I have to confirm something." Sakura stated.

After a few seconds ticked by it became clear that Hinata was hesitant on moving Kiba's body, who at the time was moaning in pain.

"I'll do it." Naruto said.

He leaned over the back seats of the truck and lifted Kiba up by the shoulders.

"What is it?" Shikamaru asked, when Sakura reached for the back of Kiba's shirt collar.

She ignored his question for the moment and continued what she was doing. Slowly pulling the collar back Sakura quickly glanced inside. She winced at what she saw.

"What?" Naruto asked, noticing her expression.

"Bruises" Sakura replied, sighing.

"He has bruises all along his neck and back, which wouldn't be bad if they weren't swelling." She stated.

"Isn't there anything we can do to help him?" Hinata asked, worried.

"There's nothing much we can do now, but pretty soon his breathing will become difficult." Sakura said, settling in her seat again.

"Why's that?" Naruto asked.

He placed Kiba back in Hinata's lap.

"If the swelling around his neck closes off the trachea, all breathing will cease." Sakura stated, causing dread to course through everyone's body.

"For now he'll just have to bear through the pain." She said.

Sakura glanced outside the window. She saw that they were just crossing the Tuboshi Bridge, which was a good thing to see because this showed that the police and army haven't set up the barricades yet. As the truck continued to move across the bridge, Sakura sighed again.

'This is going to be a long ride.' She thought, watching as sunlight glimmered across the river's water.

000

_**UNPA Aircraft**_

_3:45 P.M_

_Noon_

_Friday_

_Sky_

Minato ran a hand through his blond hair as he sat aboard one of the UNPA's aircraft vehicles. The jet made a rumbling sound as it cut through the air. It was transporting him and his team towards Konoha City, a city that holds dire information on saving humanity. Minato sighed deeply while tapping his fingers on his kneecap, a nervous habit he had grown accustomed to. He hasn't been on a mission for the UNPA in years and the last time he'd been on one was when the world had almost collapsed into a great depression. Suddenly a cold chill shot down his spine and all tapping ceased to exist. Minato was only able to take a quick breath before his whole world stopped completely.

_**Flash Back**_

_**18 Years Ago**_

_**Crises were high while the UNPA and surrounding countries struggled to get everything under control. Unemployment rates were flooding to the brim. Food shortages were becoming a normal occurrence, causing many civilians to be warped into starvation. Government leaders, beginning to speculate, started to criticize their neighboring countries. This only caused old tensions between nations to brew up again, making more violence erupt. Noticing that many food shipments and cargo supplies were mysteriously being destroyed the UNPA had to work overtime on trying to figure out why these disasters were happening. Since unemployment rates continued to grow and people became jobless, war was virtually knocking at every country's door step. **_

"_**Cloud Red" is the name the UNPA gave this arduous task while humanity spiraled out of control. Riots started to occur at every market area in the world. Important politicians were quickly being shot down, causing the already fragile economy to crack under the pressure. After a few grueling months passed as the world deteriorated the UNPA finally got some ground on the culprits behind this whole mess. With the limited information they could salvage they decided to infiltrate the enemy's base of operation. However, knowing that sending in multiple teams at once will be too risky the UNPA decided to send in a single agent, someone who's had many years of experience and practice. The person they chose is the sole reason why Minato found himself making his way towards his old mentor's domain.**_

"_**Why?" Minato asked, bursting through Jiraiya's office door.**_

"_**Why what?" Jiraiya said, not looking up from what he was doing.**_

"_**Why did you volunteer to infiltrate the Akatsuki's base?" Minato asked, distressed.**_

"_**Simple, we needed someone with enough espionage practice and skills to go in." Jiraiya replied. **_

_**He continued to write in his book.**_

"_**And you know as well as I do that I'm the only person capable of doing this task, especially due to my many years of service in this organization." Jiraiya said.**_

_**This statement was true. There wasn't many people still working for the UNPA over the age of thirty, making the ordeal quite sad. Minato winced at this realization. His mentor was speaking the truth.**_

"_**It's because of this fact, along with my excessive skills that I was highly recommended for this mission." Jiraiya stated, flipping a page.**_

_**Minato remained silent, not believing that his mentor was so calm about the situation at hand. Jiraiya continued writing. All of his focus was on the book in front of him. Both companions were mute while thunder echoed throughout the room. Lightning shrieked across the office window as rain pelted against it. The weather was perfect, so perfect that it mirrored all the emotional turmoil that Minato was now experiencing. They were just begging to burst free. Everyone knew that Minato looked up to Jiraiya like a father figure, one that he never had since pretty much his father left him at a young age. You can imagine the grief Minato feels now knowing that his only father figure was going on a suicide mission, never to return. (His father died)**_

"_**Well, I guess that's it." Jiraiya said.**_

_**He finished writing in the book and closed it.**_

"_**I'll do it." Minato suddenly spoke up, causing Jiraiya to look at him.**_

"_**I can do the mission." Minato said, determined.**_

_**Jiraiya furrowed his eyebrows.**_

"_**No, it won't do you any good in your situation." Jiraiya stated, standing up from his desk.**_

_**Minato was about to object, but Jiraiya quickly added.**_

"_**Besides, do you really want your wife to worry about you in her condition?" Jiraiya questioned, chuckling.**_

_**At the mention of his wife Minato winced again. How could he be so selfish at a time like this, knowing that both of them were expecting a child soon?**_

"_**Relax Minato, this isn't something you're supposed to be worrying about." Jiraiya said, standing beside him.**_

"_**Furthermore, it wouldn't set right for a soon to be father depressed over something like this." Jiraiya stated, smiling.**_

_**He placed a reassuring hand on Minato's shoulder. Jiraiya was right. The couple was awaiting the birth of their first child, something that both lovers wanted for a while now. Minato was excited by the news. He was so excited that he was almost, always found with a constant smile on his face. He couldn't believe that he had a baby on the way. However, this will be heavily contradicted if he started moping around, wondering if his mentor was okay or not.**_

"_**Alright" Minato said, sighing.**_

_**He didn't like it but he had other important things to worry about, like Kushina's pregnancy and due date for instance. If his memory served him well that was only a few weeks away. This caused some nervous vibe to course through his body.**_

"_**Good, so have you and Kushina come up with a name for the baby?" Jiraiya asked, letting go of his shoulder.**_

"_**Not yet, but we do know it's a boy though." Minato replied, causing Jiraiya to chuckle.**_

"_**A boy huh? Well that's good to know." Jiraiya said, looking back.**_

"_**What?" Minato asked. **_

_**He glanced where Jiraiya was looking at.**_ _**His eyes only came across the book lying on the office desk. Coming out of his stupor Jiraiya shook his head, making any idea he had in his mind disappear.**_

"_**Nothing, but anyways I'm about to head out." Jiraiya said, moving towards the door.**_

_**Minato said nothing as his mentor advanced towards the only exit of the room. He only turned around once he felt Jiraiya's eyes on his back.**_

"_**Later" Jiraiya said, giving him a thumbs up.**_

_**A painful silence fell over the office room after the door clicked. Minato stared blankly at the door. He knew that this was going to be the last interaction between him and his beloved teacher. The thought almost caused him to breakdown, but he caught himself. He also knew that Jiraiya wouldn't want him to weep over his death. Quickly composing himself Minato glanced back at Jiraiya's desk, wondering what his mentor was thinking about before leaving. Morbid curiosity overcame him once he saw the book again next to the desk lamp. Swiftly picking it up he was only able to read the title of the book when lightning flashed across the window.**_

'_**The Legend of the Gutsy Ninja'**_

_**End of Flash Back**_

Jiraiya wrote a novel before his death five days later on his solo mission into the Rain Country, but before he died he somehow miraculously sent all the information he gathered back to the UNPA. It was enough information that with precise planning and accurate timing they were able to counter all of the Akatsuki's movements, capture most of their members, relocate the organization's leader and effectively assassinate him down the road. Everything was beginning to lighten up again due to the world's essential order being restored. It was also only a few days later when Minato found himself in the delivery room of the hospital, holding his new born son.

Tears of joy and happiness rolled down his face as he held the infant in his arms. He was happy to finally have a child he can take care of now. When asked by the doctor what will be the name of the baby Minato didn't hesitate to say Naruto. This made Kushina smile, knowing where he got the name from. Minato was abruptly brought out of his thoughts when someone started to shake him by the shoulders.

"Minato san?" Rin said, standing in front of him.

"Huh?" Minato said, confused.

He blinked a few times.

"Are you ok? We've been calling you for over a minute now." Rin asked, worried.

"Yea, I'm fine. Just dozed off a bit, that's all." Minato replied, standing up from his seat.

"Oh? Okay. . ." Rin said, still not sure.

"So, what is it?" Minato asked.

"We've got something from headquarters that we think you should hear." Rin replied.

Both of them moved towards the cockpit. Once there Minato found his ears encountered by a voice. It could be barely heard over the aircraft's engine. This caused him to raise an eyebrow.

"What is this?" Minato asked, standing next to Kakashi.

"This is an important news feed we got from the UNPA concerning all the smaller countries around the world." A black haired pilot said, before turning the volume up.

Everyone listened intensively when the announcer's voice became more stable.

"_It's terrible! Not too long ago the Tea Country along with the Grass fell victim towards the infection that broke out across the Fire and Wind countries. This has caused a lot of unease to settle among the people." _The announcer said, clearing his throat.

"_As of now the military is doing all that they can on easing the unrest, applying to all of the surrounding countries wishes." _The announcer said, continuing his report.

Obito scoffed, clearly not satisfied by the military's efforts.

"Now they want to do something." He said, in distaste.

"_While most of the countries are setting up barricades, others are being evacuated. Citizens not feeling safe on where they stand are being escorted to different locations, places that will serve greatly in defense purposes. Now. . ." _The announcer began, before being cut off by the pilot.

"Where are all those people being evacuated to?" Rin asked.

"There's no telling, but they'll probably round up in one of the major 5 countries that wasn't hit yet." Kakashi replied, thoughtfully.

"Or the Iron Country" Obito stated.

"I wonder where most of the residents from Konoha City went?" Obito questioned.

Minato stayed silent throughout his comrade's conversation. His mind was thinking about other things.

000

_**Unknown**_

_1:12 P.M_

_Noon_

_Sunday_

_Underground Cellars_

The sound of quicken feet echoed off the cell walls as Kabuto made his way towards a new destination. Glancing inside the cell rooms he noticed with a hint of amusement how each inhabitant coward away by his presence. Fear flashed brightly across their worn, torn faces.

"Oh! No need to worry. I am in no need of a new guinea pig today." Kabuto said, casually.

He continued to walk. After twisting and turning through a few corridors and walking down a flight of stairs Kabuto found himself on a sterile white hall. From an amateur's point of view the hall appeared to trot on forever.

'I wonder what I'll find today.' He thought, making his way down the hall.

It only took five minutes until Kabuto found himself quickly approaching a set of metal doors, doors that appeared to be impenetrable to any outside force. Placing his hand on a scanner next to the hatch the doors began to open. This action allowed some light to filter in from the hallway. Stepping inside and closing the doors behind him Kabuto was shrouded in darkness. The only thing that could be heard was heavy breathing. He smirked at this realization.

"Let's see the results shall we." Kabuto said, before flicking the lights on.

Immense struggle could be heard as a man braced towards a table thrashed about violently. His eyes were wild as he screamed into oblivion, but the sound that came from his throat was unnatural. The man's voice was much deeper than normal and if possible rougher. His eyes were completely pitch black, so black that you had to compare them towards black holes. And his arms. . ?

"Well, that's something new?" Kabuto mused.

He noticed the pack of muscles adorning the man's arms. Quickly making his way towards a drawer Kabuto pulled out a syringe. He removed the cap positioned on the puncture.

"Let's have a closer look." Kabuto said, moving towards the center of the room.

The man started to thrash harder, banging his head against the table repeatedly. Kabuto paid the poor man no mind knowing that his attempts to escape were futile. Besides, the man's arms, legs, and torso were braced towards the table so he couldn't do a thing. Quickly drawing some blood and placing it on a petri dish, Kabuto made his way towards a microscope. What he saw caused his eyebrows to furrow.

"Interesting" Kabuto stated, astonished.

The red and white blood cells he was looking at through the microscope were completely acting haywire. They were constantly bouncing around, shaking like they had uncontrollably energy, but before he could start to speculate on what was happening a loud cracking sound pierced the air. Turning towards the source of the noise Kabuto was greeted by an extraordinary sight.

The man. . .was changing.

Kabuto could only watch in amazement as his test subject went through a metamorphosis. White skin became olive black. Normal breathing turned ragged, sounding more like a feral animal ready to strike. Loose hair that hung loosely became frazzled giving the man a maniacal appearance, but the main thing that stood out the most between all these changes was the man's significant amount of muscle gain. This was quite easy to see as one of his arms broke through its restraint.

Sensing that things were taking a dangerous turn of events Kabuto pulled out another syringe, one that contained a vicious purple looking liquid inside and strode over towards his subject. Quickly sticking the man in the neck Kabuto stepped back, watching as his prisoner thrashed about. It only took a minute before the man stilled. The rise and fall of his chest ceased. Observant eyes scanned the now lifeless form, curious on what proceeded a few seconds ago. Swiftly turning around Kabuto began to exit the room. He was intrigued by his new discovery.

"Things are about to get more interesting." Kabuto stated.

A smile was plastered on his face.

000

_**River Country**_

_2:02 P.M_

_Noon_

_Thursday_

_Spring_

"How is he?" Hinata asked, worried.

After their grueling drive over the Tuboshi Bridge Neji decided to take the back road of their new environment. They avoided all contact with civilization as possible. It wasn't long before the group found themselves quickly approaching a natural spring. Clear water bubbled up from crevasses in rocks. Knowing that this will be the best time to recharge everyone jumped out of the truck, content on placing their feet in the cool water.

"Good" Sakura replied.

She exchanged the wet wash cloth around Kiba's neck with another one.

"I was able to stop the swelling and from a closer look his trachea wasn't damage." Sakura stated.

Dosing a white wash cloth in alcohol and water she placed it on Kiba's bare back. Sakura began to clean his wounds. Hinata nodded her head in understanding. She knew what was being said. However, the mysterious glint she had in her eye told people otherwise. This greatly showed how worried she was.

"Relax, Kiba is going to be just fine." Sakura said, reassuringly.

She continued to clean Kiba's back.

"You know she's right Hinata. You don't have to worry." Shikamaru said, approaching the girls.

Hinata only nodded her head again before moving towards the front of the truck.

"She's quite worried." Shikamaru said.

He sat on the edge of the trunk.

"I'm not surprise since her and Kiba do have a bond that me and Naruto have." Sakura said, casting her gaze towards the spring water.

She watched as Naruto dove right into the water, causing a huge splash to occur. Ino, who was standing nearby, started to yell. She clearly didn't like the idea of being wet. Naruto could only smile sheepishly as he popped back up. He chuckled while Ino fervently twisted her hair. Sakura was abruptly brought out of her trance when she heard chuckling, making her glance away.

"Yea, the relationship you guys **used **to have." Shikamaru stated, causing her to blush.

"No, seriously. It's about time you 2 got together." He said, making her blush deepen.

"Yea" Sakura said, sheepishly.

She moved to seat beside him on the edge of the trunk. Both of them sat quietly as they watched their friends swim in the water. The silence that settled was quite peaceful, something the group hasn't had in a while.

"Do you really think it's okay for us to be here, relaxing like this?" Sakura questioned.

She was referring to the group's brief stop by the spring. Sakura watched as Neji carried a bucket of water towards the truck. His plans were clear as he started dumping the water all over the vehicle, cleansing it from its bloodshed.

"No, not really." Shikamaru replied, sighing.

"But you never know when we'll get a chance like this again." He stated.

Sakura could only nod her head in agreement. She casted her gaze back to the water.

'I guess our lives are officially changing now.' She thought, looking through the crystal white water.

"What's got you down?" Shikamaru asked, noticing the change in her demeanor.

"It's just. . ." Sakura said, before stopping.

She took a deep breath.

"Is this how our lives going to be from now on?" Sakura asked, looking at him.

"Trying to survive while running away from something that may overtake the world later?" Sakura continued.

She sounded a bit lost. Shikamaru could only look at her curiously, wondering what to say. After a few seconds of silence he began to speak.

"I know what you mean." Shikamaru said, looking away.

He watched as Neji and Hinata joined the rest of their friends by the spring.

"You're wondering when we'll get our lives back, days that we can go out, have fun and not give a care in the world." Shikamaru continued, almost reminiscing.

"But the thing is I don't think we can get them back." He stated.

Sakura became alarmed at this.

"Hey! Don't get me wrong. I'd love for our lives to go back to the way they were, but you have to think about this whole thing from a different prospective." Shikamaru said, sighing.

"At the moment everything is not clear. The infection just started." He stated, looking at her now.

"An infection that's notorious in taking lives. It's pretty hard to tell what's going to happen to us in the near future." Shikamaru said, causing Sakura to look away.

She rubbed her arm, uncertainly.

"I'm not going back on my promise on keeping every single last one of us safe, but you never know." He said, glancing at Kiba.

A sad look crossed his face.

"Anything can happen." Shikamaru whispered.

Sakura stayed silent. She knew what Shikamaru was saying is true. They can lose anyone at any minute. Faces they grew so fond of since kids could be lost forever. The thought scared her.

"The odds are against us, but we have to give it a shot." Shikamaru said, looking at her again.

"Things are going to happen to us, most of them we're not going to like. However. . ." He continued, standing up.

The tone of his voice changed, causing Sakura to look at him.

"We'll just have to be ready for them." Shikamaru stated, beginning to walk.

Sakura saw the look he had in his eyes. He was determined. She watched as Shikamaru joined the rest of their friends by the spring leaving her behind in the trunk. Sakura's mind began to reel. It was a great feeling to know that each of her friends were protective of one another, but dread still found its way to course through her being. How can they expect the unexpected?

Just like Shikamaru said anything can happen to them at any given time and she wasn't ready. Sakura was already shaken up by the infected's assault on the truck, an event that still left her speechless. What if one of them got seriously injured beyond repair? What if one of them gets left behind? However, the last question that sprung through Sakura's head shook her the hardest. What if one of them died? She was so shocked by the question that she failed to realize that someone was shaking her by the shoulders.

"Sakura chan?" A worried voice echoed.

Seeing Naruto through her peripheral vision Sakura came back to her senses. Worry was deeply etched on his face as he looked at her.

"Hey, are you okay?" Naruto asked, worried.

Knowing that she must have zoned out she quickly replied.

"Y Yea, I was just thinking about something." Sakura stuttered out.

Sensing that there was more to it than what she was telling him Naruto shrugged. He decided to ask about it later.

"How's Kiba?" Naruto asked, glancing at his friend.

"Good, hopefully he'll wake up soon." Sakura replied, looking at Kiba as well.

She noted that his breathing wasn't erratic or labored, which was good. This showed that Kiba wouldn't have breathing difficulties anytime soon.

"Great" Naruto stated, relieved.

He looked back at Sakura.

"So, you want to go for a swim?" Naruto asked, smiling.

However, his smile had a mischievous feel to it. Sensing this Sakura retorted.

"Who's going to look after Kiba once I'm gone then?" She questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

"I'll do it." Neji said, walking up to the truck.

"You guys go ahead. I've had enough time as it is at that spring." He stated, moving to get in the truck.

Flashing him an appreciative smile Naruto grasped his girlfriend's hand.

"Come on Sakura chan!" He exclaimed.

Quickly stepping out and closing the trunk door Sakura let Naruto drag her towards the spring water. A curious feeling on what he had planned for them course through her body as they continued to walk. However, knowing him personally Sakura knew it just had to be something perverted.

000

_Thanks for reading. Please review._

_~N4S~_

_**Fun Fact:**_

_**Minato Namikaze owns the original copy of Jiraiya's unpublished book 'The Legend of the Gutsy Ninja'.**_


	7. What The?

_Hello you guys and welcome back to another chapter of BreakOut! I would have posted this chapter sooner, but things have gotten complicated. It seems as though life itself has sunken its claws into me once again. I know right, shocker. Going off of this note I'm sad to say that this story is officially back on hiatus. I know I promised new chapters before the year ended, but I have to take care of personal things first. It's my last year in high school and it seems like there are new requirements needed in order to graduate. The sad thing is that these requirements take long periods of time to complete and the only way to finish them is to go home and do them. It's been rough. I was only able to complete this chapter over the Thanks Giving Break. I still had things to do, but I dedicated most of my time finishing this out for you guys. Hopefully it won't come back and bite me in the ass. (LOL!) Also, I've read and saw what happened towards the end of the Naruto series and might I say how mad, furious, and upset I was with the last two chapters. It was fan service to the core! Kishi handled the end of Naruto horribly and I hope he understands this since pretty much most of his fans are against the ending and from what I've heard the new movie is flopping. You don't just build things up in your story and not follow through with it towards the end. That's just pure crazy! However, that's all I'm going to say about it. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter. _

_ENJOY!_

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**_

000

_**Konoha City **_

_8:58 P.M_

_Night_

_Saturday_

_Woods_

A UNPA aircraft made a silent descend from the night sky. Grass rippled and trees swayed as jets of air hit them. Hovering above the ground for a few seconds the aircraft came to a complete still. It was quiet. The silence was only disrupted by the sound of the door towards the aircraft being unhatched. The noise it made was soft as it hit the ground.

"What's the plan?" Obito asked, looking through the aircraft's opening.

He searched the nearby tree lines for any movement.

"I think the best place for us to check first is the hospital." Minato replied.

He joined Obito by the aircraft's door. Making sure that the coast was clear everyone got off. All the equipment they needed was in their packs. Once everybody was stationed on the ground the aircraft made its way back up in the air. It was silent as it disappeared from the sky.

"Okay, let's get started." Minato began.

They formed a circle. Using the light from the moon Minato pulled out a map. He placed it in the middle of their formation. Looking it over the entire thing was marked with red dots. They showed important locations in Konoha City.

"As you can tell we're here." Minato said.

He pointed towards some spot on the map. His finger indicated that they was in the outskirts of Konoha City. It was a sparse area filled with trees and grass. The team was merely a few meters away from the highway.

"From the briefing I gave you guys earlier our mission is quite simple." Minato said, looking up from the map.

"Find any information on how this infection started and who created it." He stated.

Minato eyed his teammates. He was serious. Minato wanted to make sure that they knew how crucial this mission was. It can be a major turning point on the survival of the human race.

"Are you sure we'll find the answers we're looking for at the hospital?" Rin questioned.

She was doubtful. Minato looked at her. He knew Rin was uncertain about their decision to go there. Their trip to the hospital could be a waste of time. However, there was something he wanted to clarify.

"Yes" Minato replied.

"Yes, I do" He said, assuredly.

Minato turned his gaze towards Kakashi.

"From what you told me earlier the hospital made an interesting discovery." He said, causing Kakashi to nod his head.

"What was it?" Minato asked.

"A cure" Kakashi replied, sighing.

"They found a cure for cancer." He stated.

Minato furrowed his eyebrows. Something wasn't right. With all the gears going on inside his head he found out that Kakashi's statement was impossible. Things were not adding up. What's going on?

"Interesting" Minato said.

"What?" Obito asked.

He noticed his captain's odd expression.

"Don't you think it's quite strange for a miracle like that to happen and then this infection breaks out?" Minato stated.

This gave the team a pause. He was right. It did seem weird for such a thing to occur. Pondering his statement a bit more realization started to dawn on the group. What could this possibly mean?

"It does sound suspicious." Kakashi spoke up.

This knocked everyone out of their thoughts. Looking over the nearby tree tops Kakashi saw yellow light dancing in the night sky. It flickered from side to side. This light could only be made by fire that was still burning. It was coming from the direction of the city.

"I'll say it will take us about 30 minutes to get to the hospital from our current location." Kakashi stated, still looking over the tree tops.

"Okay then, here's the plan." Minato said, turning his gaze back to the map.

"Since we're here will make our way towards the highway." He said.

Minato moved his hand across the map.

"This will give us the quickest route to the hospital." He stated.

"That means we'll have to cut through a lot of interstate routes to get there." Obito interjected, causing Minato to nod his head.

"Yes, but they will be minor obstacles for us." Minato stated.

"Once there we'll be able to search the perimeter of the hospital thoroughly." He said, getting ready to end his briefing.

"What about the infected?" Rin asked, making Minato pause.

"Since this is a 4-man squad we can easily be overpowered by them if we cause a commotion throughout the city." She explained.

"Then we'll have to use stealth to complete this mission." Minato replied, standing up.

"Set all your weapons to silence." He ordered.

Minato flipped a switch on all his guns. The team followed suite. Once they all had their weapons on silent mode everyone began to head out. They knew what was at stake.

"We have a total of 4 hours to finish this mission, after that we rendezvous back here for pick up." Minato said, while they ran across the wood's clearing.

He was only answered with a collective "Hai!" from his team. Finally making it towards the edge of the clearing everyone put on their night vision goggles. They could see perfectly now. Not putting on his goggles yet Minato looked over his shoulder.

"Ready?" He asked, facing his team.

They only nodded their heads. Turning back around Minato sighed deeply. He put on his night vision goggles as well. Looking around Minato detected that nothing was amiss. The coast was clear.

"Let's go!" Minato exclaimed.

With this said he took off through the woods. Nodding their heads again the group followed Minato. The will power that wafted off their leader was all the team needed to get motivated. They were finally ready for the mission.

000

_**River Country**_

_4:58 A.M_

_Dawn_

_Friday_

_Road_

Turning the car's engine off Neji parked the truck. It was quiet. The only noise that could be heard was the sound of crickets chirping in the grass. An owl hooted occasionally. Neji sighed deeply. He had to break the news to his friends.

"We have a problem." Neji began.

Everyone remained silent. They knew that what he was about to say was going to be trouble. For the past few hours or so it was quite clear to the rest of the gang that Neji was deep in thought. He barely spoke a word to any of them since departing from the spring water. Usually when Neji does this new information randomly came up. What was he thinking about?

"What is it?" Shikamaru asked.

He knew that if Neji was holding back information from them he needed to speak up now. It was better for them to know what they were dealing with than stumbling across something they could have easily avoided all along. Unpredictable situations can be a nuisance.

"Well, we actually have 2 problems." Neji stated, blankly.

The gang remained quiet. They waited for him to continue.

"One, we're almost out of gas." Neji began.

Before he could continue Neji was bombarded with questions. They kept being thrown at him left and right. Neji took a deep breath before waiting for them to calm down. He knew that this would happen.

"What do you mean we're almost out of gas?" Ino asked, incredulously.

It didn't make sense to her. Before leaving Hiroshi Town her, Kiba, and Shikamaru bought a fuel container and filled it up with gas. This was when the three of them decided to go to the store and buy supplies for the group's survival. Knowing that they'll be using Mr. Haruno's truck on their journey they thought it was a great idea to pay for the medium sized fuel container at the local store. It wasn't really big, but big enough to suffice.

Gauging her reaction Neji looked ahead of himself and tapped the glass in front of the steering wheel. Looking at him curiously Ino followed his gaze, wondering what he was pointing at. What she saw made her stomach drop. The gas indicator was barely skimming above the red "E" symbol.

"When we stopped at that natural spring I used the gas you guys bought to refuel the truck." Neji said.

His eyebrows furrowed.

"It gave us half a tank, but from the looks of things it wasn't enough to last us very long." Neji explained.

Silence fell prematurely fast inside the truck. No one knew what to say. Everything was going fairly good, up until this point. However, destiny or fate decided that they had other plans. It seems as though the wild card that will determine if the group will survive or not has been drawn. Shikamaru couldn't help the deep sigh that escaped his lips. They were treading on some mighty thin ice now.

"I always knew that we'd have to walk on foot eventually, but I didn't think it would be this fast." Shikamaru said.

Frustration could be easily heard in his voice.

"True" Neji muttered.

He turned his gaze towards the front window of the truck.

"However, there is a way for us to avoid this situation." Neji said.

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked.

Tapping his index finger on the steering wheel Neji sighed before pointing towards the front of the truck. He didn't have the energy to say anything else. Following his finger a look of surprise came across the gang's face at what they saw. Several feet ahead of the truck stood an entryway towards some town. The sign said "Welcome to Shiro Town". The only thing that showed that human activity ever occurred in this place was the few empty cars that sat upon the road. Other than that the town looked pretty vacant. However, the gang knew better to believe in this false sense of security.

"I'm pretty sure there's a gas station up there where we can get fuel at." Neji stated.

A cold chill ran down everyone's spine at what this implied.

"The good question though is how are we going to get it?" He stated.

Silence lingered in the air. No one said a word. Didn't Neji know what he was asking for? Going into unknown territory unprepared is not a good thing. The task itself was just screaming danger. Even though the group had a few select weapons they still didn't guarantee them one hundred percent safety. Who in their right mind would do this impossible task?

"I'll go" Naruto spoke up.

"Naruto?" Sakura said, surprised.

Naruto looked at her before smiling.

"Don't worry Sakura chan. I'll be careful." He said.

Naruto knew that Sakura was worried about him. Why wouldn't she be? He was pretty much going on a suicide mission. There were no guarantees that he'll survive or not. The life and death situation didn't seat well with her. Shikamaru sighed deeply.

"If you're going then I'll go too." He said, causing Naruto to look at him.

"Got to make sure you don't do anything stupid." Shikamaru stated.

Everyone chuckled at his statement.

"Are you sure about this?" Ino asked, humorlessly.

There was no trace of laughter in her voice. Shikamaru stared at her. Ino's eyes held such a seriousness to them that a majority of people couldn't fathom it. He knew that look. Being in a relationship for so long it was quite easy for him to detect when his girlfriend was against something or wanted to argue. This was one of those moments.

"Yea, I think it will be a better idea for the both of us to go instead of just one of us." Shikamaru explained.

Before Ino could speak he continued.

"And no, you can't come." Shikamaru deadpanned.

Saying that Ino was mad is an understatement. No, she wasn't mad. She was furious. The group of friends could literally feel the amount of anger that coursed through Ino's body wafted off her being.

Out of the bunch of friends Ino has always been the expressive one. She knew how to control her emotions, but that didn't stop her from saying what she wanted to say. Ino has never been afraid to speak her mind. This side of her can have its ups and downs. Due to the situation that is present there was no telling if this was a good thing or a bad one.

"Why not?" Ino asked, heatedly.

She was barely keeping her temper in check.

"There's no telling what will happen to us once we go out there." Shikamaru replied.

He gave her a tender look.

"I'm just trying to keep you safe." Shikamaru reasoned.

Ino couldn't believe what she was hearing. Maybe it was because of the worry she felt or the emotions that seemed to be running high in her to make her think like this. Does he really doubt her capabilities? Ino knew that this was a crazy thought, but she couldn't help it. Her emotions seemed to be scattered all over the place.

"Do you think that I'm just some weak woman who can be pushed to the side?" Ino questioned, bitterly.

"I'm not as fragile as I look!" She exclaimed.

"I never said that you were." Shikamaru said, calmly.

He kept his cool.

"But, due to the situation I'm not going to put your life in danger, not knowing if I'll be able to protect you or not." Shikamaru explained.

Ino was livid. To her, no matter how the situation presented itself to them she still wanted to give her assistance. What was the point of them having that heartfelt moment back at Sakura's parents' house if he wasn't going to let her help? She knew Shikamaru has never doubted her when it came to things, but worrying about her safety was a bit of an understatement. They was already in a tight predicament as it is with the infection going on. Ino took a deep breath to calm her anger down. She couldn't accomplish anything if she let her emotions get this high. Once Ino was calmed down a bit she began to speak.

"I understand the situation perfectly Shikamaru, that's the reason why I want to go." She said, staring at him.

An unwavering, determination filled her voice.

"I'm coming with you guys." Ino said, with a finality.

Shikamaru just stared at her. He didn't know what to say. As much as he wanted to object to her decision on going, Shikamaru knew that he couldn't persuade her otherwise. Ino was firm on her decision. He sighed deeply.

"What a drag." Shikamaru muttered.

Ino could only smile at this. She knew that she had won the argument.

"Ino, are you sure about doing this?" Sakura asked, concerned.

Looking her friend in the eyes Ino replied.

"Positive, why wouldn't I be?" She said.

Leaning in close to Sakura's ear Ino began to whisper.

"And besides, no matter the situation guys are always going to need some guidance from a female." She stated, with an assured tone.

Sakura didn't know if she felt relieved about hearing this truth or distraught on knowing that three of her friends were about to venture off into a not so vacant ghost town. She knew mentally that Shiro Town had to be crawling with infected. It gave her chills just thinking about it.

"Just make sure that you guys come back to us safe and sound." Sakura said, uneasy.

Ino only nodded her head before moving to get prepared. Making sure they had all the supplies they needed the threesome got out of the truck. They closed the doors gently to make as little noise as possible. Moving forward to stand on the road Naruto came to a stop. He gripped the shotgun tightly in his hands.

"You guys ready?" Naruto asked, looking back at Ino and Shikamaru.

Both of his companions nodded their heads at his question. The axe was gripped firmly in Shikamaru's right hand. Sighing at this Naruto took an unceremonious step forward. He was nervous. Before he knew it Naruto was taking not so hesitant steps in the direction of Shiro Town. The entryway was only a few feet away now. It was all or nothing.

000

_**Konoha City**_

_9:18 P.M_

_Night_

_Saturday_

_Interstate_

Splash!

"What the?" Obito exclaimed, surprised.

Lifting his left leg up he looked towards his foot, wondering what he had stepped in. Dripping from his boot and towards the ground was some type of greenish goo. It made a noticeable plop sound as it hit the cement floor. Obito scrunched up his nose at this. Covered all over the ground by his feet was some type of greenish slime. What was it?

After leaving their rendezvous point back in the woods Minato's team had made some impressive lead way into Konoha City. There were no distractions and nothing out of the ordinary took place. This just screamed towards the team that something was wrong. Where were all of the infected? Other than coming across a few of them since journeying inside the city, the metropolis was pretty vacant. This was not a good sign. The situation that they currently found themselves in is the first time that something bizarre has taken place.

"Let me take a look at it" Rin said, stepping forward.

Coming up beside him Rin sat back on her hind legs. She examined the greenish slime carefully. After a few seconds passed by Rin furrowed her eyebrows. Minato quirked an eyebrow at this.

"What is it?" He asked, noticing her expression.

Standing up and straightening her posture Rin looked towards her leader.

"It seems to be some type of bile of some sort." Rin replied.

"Vomit?" Kakashi questioned, perplexed.

Turning her gaze to him Rin nodded her head. This was a shocking revelation. The team started to think. Why was there bile all over the ground? It didn't look like the ordinary vomit you'd see from a human being. Even with this as a thought the good question was where did it come from and why? It obviously had to have come from a living organism, but there was some uncertainty with this thought.

"This is quite unusual" Kakashi stated, eyeing the vomit on the ground.

He pretty much summed up what everyone was thinking.

"What do you think this could possibly mean?" Obito asked, looking at Minato.

He started to scrub his boot against the cement ground.

"I don't know, but we have to keep moving." Minato said, getting ready to walk.

Before he could get even two steps in, Rin spoke up.

"Hold on a second." She said, causing Minato to stop.

"I think it would be wise of us to take some of this in for testing." Rin began.

"It's obvious to us that this bile had to have come from a human being or another living organism, but it doesn't look like the normal vomit you'd see on a regular day. I think we can learn more about this at headquarters if we take it with us." She explained.

Minato nodded his head with her reasoning.

"Okay" He said.

Turning towards the solution on the ground Rin sat back on her hind legs again. Removing her backpack slowly she gently placed it by her side. Searching though it for a few seconds Rin pulled out a test tube. Leaning forward cautiously she scooped up some of the bile inside the tube. It wasn't full all the way, but it was just enough. Placing the cape back on Rin put the test tube in her pack. She made sure to place it where it wouldn't get crush.

"Alright, that should do." Rin said.

She placed her backpack on slowly.

"Ready?" Minato asked.

He was making sure that everything was in order. Standing up from the ground Rin nodded her head. Once they saw this the team began to move out. At first everyone thought that this mission would be quite predictable. However, what they just saw and the info that it may entail has changed the team's perspectives. What other surprises will this mission have in store?

000

_**Unknown**_

_7:20 P.M_

_Night_

_Monday_

_Hideout_

Yellow, slitted, eyes widened at what they saw. It was unbelievable. If the data they just skimmed through was correct, then things were about to get more violent. Kabuto stood by quietly as his mentor looked over the data sheet he handed him. He waited patiently for his next set of orders.

"Are you sure this information is correct?" Orochimaru asked.

His eyes were still scanning the data sheet.

"Yes, Orochimaru Sama." Kabuto replied.

Adjusting his glasses he continued to speak.

"It seems as though the virus is taking on a new form. One that's completely different from what we've planned." Kabuto stated.

An eerie silence fell over the room. This was unexpected. How were they going to go about tackling this new set back? Clearly their creation was starting to do things on its own.

"Is the virus mutating the same way in all of our prisoners?" Orochimaru asked, setting the data sheet on the table.

"The answer to that is a yes and a no actually." Kabuto replied.

Orochimaru furrowed his eyebrows deeply. What did he mean by that? Moving away from the table Orochimaru walked towards a seat. He felt like an explanation was in order.

"Oh really" Orochimaru said, seating in his chair.

The atmosphere inside the room suddenly became hostile. This was bad. Whenever Orochimaru had a foul mood horrible things tend to happen. His anger can be quite devastating.

"Explain" Orochimaru deadpanned.

Sensing his master's rage Kabuto cleared his throat.

"Like what you just said I took in account on the virus's mutation process." He said, moving towards an examination table.

"The results I found were quite surprising." Kabuto said, pushing aside a few beakers.

It only took half a minute for Kabuto to retrieve what he was looking for. Bringing forth two test tubes Orochimaru eyed them suspiciously. Both containers were filled with blood. Glancing at the test tubes for a few more seconds a spark finally clicked inside his brain.

"These are blood samples from the prisoners who are undergoing changes?" Orochimaru questioned.

Kabuto nodded his head.

"Yes, after finding out about this new discovery I checked in on my other 2 test subjects and they went through the same process." He said, smirking.

"If that's the case then why are they not the same?" Orochimaru asked.

He was referring to the blood samples. Even though both test tubes contained mutated samples of blood they looked completely different from each other. One test tube had solid red blood in it and the tint was dark. However, the other sample of blood was much clearer and had a murky look to it. They were clearly not the same.

"Let's just say that depending on the person and how the mutation process goes in their blood stream the results will vary." Kabuto stated.

Orochimaru quirked an eyebrow at this.

"Meaning?" He asked.

"Different forms, different mutations." Kabuto replied.

Orochimaru sat back further in his seat. He soaked up all the information he just heard. This was some pretty interesting news. However, no matter how intriguing the new information was there were still some concerns. Will a major drawback come from this?

"With this new discovery do you think that it will change our plans?" Orochimaru asked.

Kabuto adjusted his glasses.

"That, I do not have the answer to." He said, truthfully.

"This is something completely new. I'll have to do my research on it." Kabuto explained.

Orochimaru leaned his head on the headdress of his chair. He closed his eyes. No matter the circumstances unpredictable interferences has always been a pet peeve of his. They could be a major nuisance. What was occurring now was no different.

"Well, this is an unexpected turn of event." Orochimaru said.

He opened his eyes slowly.

"However, we might be able to make some use of this." Orochimaru stated, chuckling.

An evil glint passed through his eyes. A new plan was being formulated. Kabuto furrowed his eyebrows. He knew that look. What could his mentor possibly have in store? All he knew was that it had to be something unpleasant.

000

_**Konoha City**_

_9:34 P.M_

_Night_

_Saturday_

_Apartment Complex Rooftop_

"How's everything looking?" Minato asked.

Obito didn't reply. He had all of his attention focused on looking through the scope of his sniper rifle. Once the team made it towards Konoha Hospital they decided to take refuge in an apartment complex nearby. Seeing as though the hospital was crawling with infected, and the apartment building was clear of any creatures, the group thought that this was a good idea.

However, even though the team has made it to their first destination it did little to ease the burden on all their hearts. Once they all got off the interstate and made it deeper into the streets of Konoha City a shocking scene was waiting for them. Nothing prepared them for what they saw. Littered all over the ground were slain bodies of human beings. The city's streets were literally covered in the flesh and blood of slaughtered civilians. It was carnage at its purest form.

What really shocked the team though was the little bodies that were being covered up by another one much bigger than them. Their spirits were dampened at the realization of what they were. The bodies belonged to children. It was clear to everyone that the bodies covering the kids were their parents. The scene in itself was too much for the group to bear. In their haste the team said a quick prayer. Out of all the things that has happened the slain individuals deserved this.

"Just, one more." Obito said, slowly.

He lined his sniper up at the right angle. Reassured that everything was good Obito pulled the trigger. His gun made a thud sound as the bullet left the barrel of the gun and shot towards its target. Obito watched intensively as the infected took a few staggering steps back before falling to the ground dead. He sighed after this.

"There, that's all of them." Obito said, backing away from his sniper rifle.

Dissembling the parts of his gun and placing them in the right areas Obito zipped up his backpack.

"However, there's no telling how many of them are lurking on the inside." He stated, standing up from his crouch position.

Minato nodded his head as Obito slung his backpack over his shoulders.

"That's alright" He said.

Minato turned his attention towards the rest of his team.

"Okay, let's go over this one more time." He began.

Minato picked up the paper work that was laying by his feet. Flipping through the papers he came to a stop on one page. The paper showed a picture of a young, fair skinned lady. She had raven black hair that reached her shoulders and chestnut brown eyes. The woman was very beautiful. Scanning the paper's information Minato spoke.

"This nurse is said to be the 1 who found the cure, correct?" He questioned.

Minato looked over at Kakashi.

"Yes, the news station did an exclusive interview with her." Kakashi replied.

He furrowed his eyebrows deeply.

"But, something was off about her. Throughout the whole interview she didn't give straight forward answers." Kakashi stated.

Minato quirked an eyebrow at this.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I can't put my finger on it, but you could tell that she was hiding something." Kakashi concluded.

Minato soaked all of this in. So his suspicions were coming true. To find a cure for cancer is an amazing feat. However, from the beginning Minato knew that such an accomplishment had to be false. There was just too many facts and data on this subject to prove it wasn't true. A new wave of determination filled Minato at this conclusion. Something eerie was afoot here and they needed to get to the bottom of it.

"Are you sure she's the culprit we're looking for?" Rin asked.

Minato looked at her.

"I don't know, but I guess we're about to find out." He replied.

Minato turned his gaze towards the hospital. Hope was in there. Minato was certain that they will find all the answers they're looking for in this particular building. They just had to.

000

_**Shiro Town**_

_5:20 A.M_

_Dawn_

_Friday_

_Streets_

"I guess this is a homestretch." Naruto said, looking out into the distance.

He was eyeing the gas station. It didn't take the group long to find what they were looking for. When walking into Shiro Town the threesome just stayed on the same strip of road they came in from. It was pure luck that their destination wasn't too far. Now the gas station stood only a couple of feet away.

"Not really" Shikamaru said, walking up.

Him and Ino came to stand right next to Naruto on the street.

"We have to make sure we make it back to the others too." Shikamaru clarified.

Both Naruto and Ino nodded their heads at this. They understood. Their objective won't be really complete until all three of them made it back to the rest of their friends. The gang has already suffered from one catastrophe as it is and just going by that one mishap they were emotionally drained. There was no more room for mistakes.

"Let's go" Shikamaru said, moving forward.

There was no hesitation or complaints from either of his companions as both of them followed suite. While they were walking into Shiro Town the group noticed something very peculiar. At first they paid no attention to it due to their guards being up, but after a while it wasn't too hard for them to notice. It was quiet. The silence was so evident that you could hear nature itself ring about. There was no indication that any life forms were stationed nearby. Why was that?

Naruto and Ino were baffled at this discovery. It didn't make sense to them. Shouldn't some of the infected be roaming about now? It was hard to believe that Shiro Town didn't have any. Conversing about this topic for a few minutes Shikamaru decided to just keep quiet about it. He felt as though it was best for them not to jinx themselves.

Finally making it towards the gas station the trio stopped at one of the pumps. A few cars were parked her and there, but the area wasn't crowded. Removing the nozzle from its hook and inserting it inside the fuel container Naruto squeezed the handle. However, nothing came out.

"Damn it!" Naruto exclaimed.

He placed the nozzle back on its hook. Ino sighed at this.

"It looks like we'll have to turn the pumps back on from the inside." She stated, looking at Shikamaru.

Hearing this advice Naruto started to move towards the gas station's building. Getting the pumps back on was the only way of completing their task. Reaching the entrance Naruto pushed the glass door inward causing a bell to ding. Everyone froze at this. Was there anybody inside? After waiting for about a minute the group finally decided to enter. The coast was clear.

"You guys search for supplies while I try to turn the pumps back on." Naruto said, walking towards the counter.

Shikamaru and Ino only nodded their heads before moving into action. The gas station had many utilities, snacks, and beverages that the gang could use on their travels. It would have been stupid of them not to take what they could get. Finally reaching the counter Naruto got behind it. He pushed a few things aside to look for a switch.

'How do you turn them on?' Naruto thought, still searching.

He placed his hands under the counter. Fumbling his fingers across the wood Naruto's hand bumped into something. He quirked an eyebrow. Sitting down on his hind legs Naruto looked under the counter, wondering what he had touched. Staring right back at him was a small green button. It had a small glow to it as the light went in and out. Naruto could only smile at what he found.

'Bingo' He said, mentally.

Quickly pushing the button Naruto stood up.

"I got the pumps back up and running." He said, looking at his friends.

A sigh of relief left both Shikamaru and Ino's lips at this news. It seemed as though they were only one more step away from reuniting with the rest of their friends. Naruto smiled at their reaction. He understood how they felt. Casting his gaze towards the window next to him Naruto's smile disappeared. It was like a ghost town outside. Furrowing his eyebrows deeply he began to think.

"I don't get it." Naruto said, still looking out the window.

"What?" Shikamaru questioned.

Placing one more item inside Ino's backpack he stood up from his crouch position on the floor.

"I know we agreed not to talk about it, but I find it weird that this place doesn't have any infected." Naruto replied.

He looked at Shikamaru.

"Why is that?" Naruto asked.

Before Shikamaru could reply Ino spoke up.

"Naruto's right" She said.

Zipping up her backpack Ino came to stand right next to her boyfriend.

"It's strange" She stated.

This topic has been boggling everyone's minds. Why weren't there any infected around? With the infection going on the trio thought that they would come across a few. However, they haven't. It just didn't make sense.

"There's no telling why this town is so vacant, but let's not stick around and find out." Shikamaru stated, leaning forward.

He picked up his axe from the floor. Seeing that his companions had a few more things to do in the store Shikamaru volunteered to go pump gas into the fuel container. He knew it would be best for them to go ahead and get it out of the way. Turning towards the exit Shikamaru instantly froze. Shock could be seen as clear as day on his face.

Standing outside only a couple of feet away from the door stood an infected human male. A scowl adorn its face as it stared at him through the glass door. Shikamaru could only look at the infected in disbelief. The town wasn't as empty as they all thought. A predatory glint passed its eyes causing Shikamaru's heart beat to race. The infected only snarled at him before lunging forward in the form of an attack.

000

_Gasp! What in the world is going on? What's going to happen next? All of these questions will be hopefully answered soon. Told you guys that this chapter would leave you off on a cliff hanger. Nobody likes them, but hey what can you do? At least it helps build anticipation. So, I guess that's that. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter due to the long wait. I don't like leaving you guys hanging, but taking care of things in the real world can be strenuous. It's a good thing my stress hasn't killed me yet! Thanks for reading and please review. Until we meet again._

_~N4S~_

_**Fun Fact:**_

_**Naruto's mother has a four year Bachelor's Degree in Culinary Arts.**_


End file.
